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Our increasing use of near-Earth space has led to an increased risk of collisions and threat to operational spacecraft. The cooling of the Earth’s upper atmosphere due to greenhouse gas emissions results in a prolonged lifetime for space debris as there is less atmospheric drag to cause orbit decay. Heating of the thermosphere will reduce debris and Joule Heating is a significant though intermittent contributor. Joule heating is controlled by the coupling processes of the magnetosphere and ionosphere and is strongly associated with auroral activity driven by substorms. During the International Polar Year, the EISCAT Svalbard radar (ESR) operated nearly continuously, providing a year-long dataset of high resolution ionospheric parameters. The ESR usually lies poleward of the main auroral oval yet during the period of observation a significant number of high-latitude substorms were identified, often during periods of elevated solar wind. We present observations of the associated ion heating during these events and compare estimates of joule heating that suggest a much lower heating rate.