National Academies Space Weather Operations and Research Infrastructure Workshop, Phase II; 2021-22; Washington, District of Columbia

The National Academies (NASEM) Space Studies Board will hold a workshop on the future research agenda and infrastructure needed to improve understanding of space weather phenomena, their origins and impacts. Space weather is generated by intricate interactions among the Sun, Earth’s magnetic field, and Earth's atmosphere. The effects of space weather include not only picturesque auroras but also unwelcome hazard to the electrical power grid, disruption of radio communication, and damage to space-based assets including GPS satellites.

Therefore, the origin and effects of space weather are of interest to the research community, forecasters, utility companies, satellite operators, and national and international policy makers.

The Space Weather Operations and Research Infrastructure Workshop, Phase II is cosponsored by NSF and NASA and will be held in the latter half of 2021. NASEM will convene a broad, diverse swath of the space weather and solar and space physics communities, including those from academia, government, non-profits, and the commercial sector. Discussions during the workshop will examine trends in available and anticipated space weather observations, including the use of constellations of small satellites, hosted payloads, ground-based systems, international collaborations and data buys; review existing and developing technologies for research and observations; and consider needs, gaps, and opportunities in space weather modeling and validation, including data assimilation and ensemble approaches.

NASEM will publish a proceeding summarizing the workshop presentations and discussions, which will be useful to the research and policy communities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.