Space Weather Enterprise Forum

Building an Informed and Resilient Society – the Decade Ahead

PROGRAM:

The National Space Weather Program (NSWP) Council is organizing the next Space Weather Enterprise Forum scheduled for June 8 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Our theme this year is, “Building an Informed and Resilient Society – the Decade Ahead.”

The NSWP Council is part of the U.S. Federal meteorological coordinating infrastructure under the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM). The Council brings together the Federal agencies involved in providing space weather products and services, space weather research, users of space weather information, and other offices that set policy or funding for the space weather enterprise. The purpose is to facilitate coordination, collaboration, and leveraging of activities, results, and capabilities across the Federal agencies.

As we approach the next peak of solar activity expected in 2013, our nation faces multiplying uncertainties from increasing reliance on space weather-affected technologies for communication, navigation, security, and other activities, many of which underpin our national infrastructure and economy. We also face increased exposure to space weather-driven human health risk as trans-polar flights and space activities, including space tourism, increase.

Over the years, the annual Space Weather Enterprise Forums have gathered a wide range of stakeholders including providers, users, and researchers from government, academia, and the private sector as well as legislators and staff from Capitol Hill to raise awareness and share information on space weather. This year, we will continue this outreach but will sharpen the focus on critical infrastructure protection, with the necessary underpinnings of research, improved products and services, and applications to serve a broad and growing user community.

We will again follow a panel session format, including brief presentations by the expert panelists followed by ample time for lively exchange across a diverse group of attendees.

Planned Sessions:

A Year Moving Forward – National Space Weather Program: In the year since the last forum, we have seen significant progress in many areas of the enterprise and in addressing perennial challenges such as sustaining solar wind monitoring from an L1 orbit. A Year Moving Forward presents the highlights of these advances, including contributions to building a resilient society and the successes and challenges in raising space weather awareness in the broader community.

The Future of Space Weather Science and Research Transition to Operations: In many ways, today’s state of the science and state of the art in space weather operations are comparable to terrestrial weather several decades ago. In the last ten years, we have seen great strides in discovery and physical understanding but much work remains. Research is the foundation of the enterprise and the transition of research results into operational capability is the bridge over the National Research Council’s “Valley of Death.” Without the physical understanding and the related operational capability, we have little hope of building an informed and resilient society. The Future of Space Weather Science and Research Transition to Operations examines recent and imminent breakthroughs and the implications for the enterprise and society.

International Activities and Cooperation: One senior leader in the enterprise has called space weather a team sport and space weather’s inherently global nature makes this an international team. An informed and resilient society spans national borders and International Activities and Cooperation provides a global update and perspective on the forum theme.

Critical Infrastructure Support: We depend on critical systems and activities affected by space weather, such as the electric power grid, communications, positioning and navigation, and national security. These effects must be understood, mitigation actions developed, and acceptable levels of risk determined to build and support an informed and resilient society. Critical Infrastructure Support examines these areas, including identifying potential approaches to raising awareness and building resiliency, and employing the social sciences for greatest effectiveness.