The Space Weather Impact Department studies the interaction of space weather on key technological systems and services in satellite navigation (GNSS) and satellite communications, as well as on ground- and space-based infrastructures such as power grids or satellites. Disturbances in the plasmasphere and ionosphere will be studied to develop appropriate indices to support navigation users to assess the impact of space weather on technological systems. Thus, information on the ionospheric state can significantly help to avoid safety-critical situations (for example, for the air transportation system) or high costs due to useless exploration approaches (for example, studies for the development of offshore resources or for precise positioning). The department  operates  together with the DLR Remote Sensing Data Center , the pre-operational service  IMPC (Ionospehre Monitoring and Prediction Center), which provides real-time information, space weather data as well as associated information about the current state of the ionosphere.

• The Effects on Technical Systems Working Group investigates effects of space weather on ground- and space-based technical systems, including power grids, satellite navigation and communications, and Earth observation. The work of the working group includes the:

• characterization and prediction of ionospheric disturbances caused by solar-
  terrestrial interactions. This includes specific research and development work on the influence of ionospheric effects on precision and safety-critical GNSS. The group develops and demonstrates new methods for real-time monitoring of ionospheric disturbances using satellite and ground-based GNSS measurements.
• research of space weather impacts to improve knowledge of the interactions between space weather and human technological infrastructures. The research results support operators of critical infrastructures and services in navigation, communication, aviation, and power networks, who need to be aware of the impact of ionospheric and geomagnetic disturbances.

• The Pre-operational Services and Validation group with its special combination of scientific know-how and data management provides pre-operational space weather prediction services and ensures its validation. The group develops methods for the measurement, evaluation and prediction of physical and technical quantities in order to be able to describe the effects of space weather on technical systems in an application-oriented manner.

Both working groups make significant contributions to scientific knowledge on the impact of space weather on technical systems and contribute to their assessment and reduction in projects together with industry.