Dive Brief:

• The U.S. is preparing for possible dangerous space weather events that could damage communications systems.
• The National Science and Technology Council released a road map last month designed to help prepare for a weather event in space that could disrupt electric power systems, satellites, telecommunications and navigation.
• The program combines national, scientific and homeland security efforts.

Dive Insight:

Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said there has always been potential for space storms, but because of the way we communicate and route power today, “we're much more vulnerable than in the past."

The report says solar flares can affect the Earth's atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communication signals travel, potentially shutting down mobile and high-frequency communications.

"These critical infrastructures make up a diverse, complex, interdependent system of systems in which a failure of one could cascade to another," the report said. "Given the importance of reliable electric power and space-based assets, it is essential that the United States has the ability to protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the potentially devastating effects of space weather."

Solar flares have caused radio blackouts and affected navigation systems in the past several years.

The U.S. government wants to coordinate various governments, academics, emergency managers, the media and private companies to develop systems to predict dangerous space weather and to determine best steps for response and recovery.