Space weather mitigation decisions by critical infrastructure operators during Solar Cycle 25

The study, published in Space Weather and co-authored by West Point faculty member Caitlin LaNeve, focuses on how power, satellite, and aviation operators handled space weather events over Solar Cycle 25, comparing academic advice with industry actions. While research often suggests large purchases of expensive hardware, or shutting down systems to avoid damage, most companies opted to continue operations to avoid losing money, relying on modeling and alert systems to manage risk. We identify a preparedness gap where larger companies have the ability to harden networks before operations, but smaller ones may choose to accept the risk of the storm due to high costs. Ultimately, this study highlights that instead of only purchasing new equipment, operators identified the need for more accurate, localized, space weather warnings from the government to protect critical infrastructure.

To cite this article: LaNeve, C. M., Oughton, E. J., Rivera, N., Weigel, R. S., Thomas, D., & Gaunt, C. T. (2026). Space weather mitigation decisions by critical infrastructure operators during solar cycle 25. Space Weather, 24, e2026SW005072. https://doi.org/10.1029/2026SW005072

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