Editing Spaceflight (section)

=== Space weather ===
{{Main|Space weather}}
[[Image:Aurora-SpaceShuttle-EO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Aurora (astronomy)|Aurora australis]] and [[Space Shuttle Discovery|''Discovery'']], May 1991]]

Space weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in [[outer space]]. It is distinct from the concept of [[weather]] within a [[Celestial body atmosphere|planetary atmosphere]], and deals with phenomena involving ambient [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]], magnetic fields, [[radiation]] and other [[matter]] in space (generally close to Earth but also in [[interplanetary space|interplanetary]], and occasionally [[interstellar medium]]). "Space weather describes the conditions in space that affect Earth and its technological systems. Our space weather is a consequence of the behavior of the Sun, the nature of Earth's magnetic field, and our location in the Solar System."<ref>[http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/SSB_Space_weather97.pdf Space Weather: A Research Perspective] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326235324/http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/SSB_Space_weather97.pdf |date=2009-03-26 }}, [[National Academy of Sciences]], 1997</ref>

Space weather exerts a profound influence in several areas related to space exploration and development. Changing geomagnetic conditions can induce changes in atmospheric density causing the rapid degradation of spacecraft altitude in [[Low Earth orbit]]. Geomagnetic storms due to increased solar activity can potentially blind sensors onboard spacecraft, or interfere with on-board electronics. An understanding of space environmental conditions is also important in designing shielding and life support systems for crewed spacecraft.