text: Space Products
  Figure 6-1. Situation template with space area of interest
  STEP 2—DESCRIBE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON OPERATIONS
  6-10. Step 2 includes terrestrial and space weather and terrain analysis relevant to space capabilities. Care
  is taken during this step to limit the focus to the weather and terrain impacts on space operations; otherwise
  there is duplication with the intelligence cell effort. In fact, this step is conducted in close coordination with
  the intelligence cell staff weather officer and terrain team to ensure a complementary effort.
  Impact of Space Weather
  6-11. The first task of step 2 is to examine the impact of space weather on mission operations. The space
  environment consists of the full range of electromagnetic radiation and charged particles (electrons and
  protons, which constitute solar wind) that continually flow from the sun at varying intensities. Several types
  of solar activity cause energetic particle streams to intensify the normal (or background) levels of solar
  wind. These changes in solar wind speed and density disturb the Earth’s magnetic field as they sweep by,
  creating geomagnetic and ionospheric storms. The fundamental drivers of space weather activity include
  solar flares (a rapid, intense variation in solar brightness, including a release of radiation across the EMS)
  and coronal mass ejections (huge bubbles of plasma ejected from the sun which may reach Earth in as little
  as 15 hours). These space weather disturbances may potentially degrade both commercial and military
  capabilities for periods ranging from several minutes to a few hours. More extreme impacts such as loss of
  system performance are less likely. The potential for space weather to disrupt friendly, civil, commercial,
  and enemy space systems needs to be integrated early during step 2. Impacts may include space-to-space,
  space-to-ground, and ground-to-ground communications, radar, and optical sensors across all portions of
  the EMS. Table 6-1 (page 6-4) is a summary of a space running estimate product reflecting the space
  weather effects in an area of operation, and may not be all inclusive.