Space security advances for the Big Ideas Lab podcast

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) contributions to space security are the topic of the newest Big Ideas Lab Podcast series. Listen on Apple and Spotify.

Ben Bahney, the leader of the Lab’s Space Science and Security Program, calls space security the idea that the U.S. needs to find a way to operate in space despite the presence of natural threats to spacecraft as well as situations where another country tries to attack our space systems.

In the modern age, since so much of life now revolves around satellites and space assets, space security is particularly important for nations.

“Space is the backbone of our modern world,” Bahney said. “Protecting satellites and space-based infrastructure from threats — from cyber attacks to physical challenges — is a cornerstone of space security. It relies on advanced technologies and global collaboration to safeguard the critical systems that underpin our communication, navigation and national defense.

“I think for most people, space is this unseen set of capabilities. It’s way up there. You can’t see what’s going on. This hidden complexity propels space development. Space is vast, mysterious, essential to how our world operates and integral to modern life.”

Willem de Vries, the mission analysis lead for the Space Science and Security Program, who also was interviewed for the Big Ideas Lab Podcast, said that traffic management is a real need in space.

“Awareness is the foundation of effective space management,” de Vries said. “Tracking objects in orbit ensures that satellites can operate safely and efficiently.”

One of the threats in space that can cause at least temporary outages is solar flares.

In May 2024, the sun released a powerful solar flare — the strongest in years — along with a coronal mass ejection, which is a massive burst of solar particles and magnetic energy.  When these particles hit Earth’s atmosphere, they triggered an intense geomagnetic storm.

“The effects were widespread,” de Vries said. “Satellites experienced disruptions, radio signals were affected and auroras lit up the skies in places where they’re rarely seen.

“Events like this highlight the risks solar activity poses to our technology."

Fortunately, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory keeps constant watch, providing early warnings to help protect satellites and power grids from future solar storms.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab Podcast and learn more about space security and LLNL’s efforts to protect satellites and space assets for the nation. Listen on Apple and Spotify.