The NASA Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite enables SWPC to give advance warning of geomagnetic storms. Geomagnetic storms are a natural hazard, like hurricanes and tsunamis, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) forecasts for the public's benefit. Geomagnetic storms impact the electric power grid, aircraft operations, GPS, manned spaceflight, and satellite operations, to name some of the most damaging. Severe geomagnetic storms can result in electric utility blackouts over a wide area.

The location of ACE at the L1 libration point between the Earth and the Sun, about 1,500,000 km forward of Earth, enables ACE to give up to one hour advance warning of the arrival of damaging space weather events at Earth. SWPC issues warnings of imminent geomagnetic storms using these data.