National Space Weather Program Unified National Space Weather Capability Dr. Jack Hayes NOAA Assistant Administrator for Weather Services Director, National Weather Service 1

National Space Weather Program Why? Increasing potential for major impacts on advanced technologies that underlie critical infrastructure and national security –Next solar maximum expected in 2013 –Expect vulnerabilities to grow with growing technological advances Need to continue to optimize and coordinate U.S. space weather investment to provide the right information to the right people at the right time to enhance resiliency and reduce vulnerability Need to extend these capabilities worldwide to protect people, infrastructure, and the global economy and raise awareness where no space weather services are currently available 2

National Space Weather Program Vision A Resilient Technologically-Advanced World, Prepared to Meet the Challenges of Living with a Space Weather Producing Star, by Understanding and Reducing Our Risks and Vulnerabilities, While Partnering for Progress and Prosperity. 3

National Space Weather Program Unified National Space Weather Capability A federal interagency partnership facilitated by OFCM to improve space weather science and services the 2013 solar maximum and beyond –Increase real-time space situational awareness as solar disturbances trigger potentially high-impact space weather –Increase space weather forecast accuracy through research-operations partnership –Increase operational space weather warning accuracy and lead time for vulnerable infrastructure and missions –Provide a US contribution to international space partnership – consistent with President’s Space Policy 4

National Space Weather Program Unified National Space Weather Capability National Space Weather Program Partners DOC/NOAA, DOD, DOE, DHS, DOI/USGS, DOT/FAA, NASA, NSF, DOS OFCM facilitates development of national framework to –Capitalize on unique agency roles, responsibilities, and capabilities –Build a synchronized national effort spanning observations, models, applications, forecasts, warnings, dissemination, outreach and education –Enhance individual agency-specific mission needs, while leveraging national capabilities as needed –Link to existing international frameworks through United Nations Programs such as WMO, ICAO, COPUOS, OOSA 5

National Space Weather Program Action Plan Objectives Identify critical national needs, capabilities and gaps and develop roadmaps to: –Improve use and integration of available observations into both research and operations –Accelerate Research to Operations for relevant space weather Research & Development –Develop new and improved mission-tailored space weather products and services Improve collaboration between research community and operational space weather product and service providers Broaden partnership to include international space weather community Develop operational web-based space weather portal to provide around-the-clock space weather products that can be used worldwide 6

National Space Weather Program Strategy: Within One Year National Space Weather Portal with best possible space weather products contributed by partners Validation, verification and transition review of new numerical space weather forecast models for operations at AFWA and SWPC WMO-facilitated space situational awareness data collection, collation and dissemination initiative UK Met Office and Korean Radio Research Agency 24x7 operational forecast Space Weather Prediction Testbed and science community support for targeted research and development product improvement projects 7

National Space Weather Program Strategy: Beyond One Year Create targeted basic and applied research programs to enable future: –Forecasts of X-Class Solar Flares –Regional Forecasts of Moderate to Severe Geomagnetic Storms –Regional Forecasts of Moderate to Severe Radiation Storms Establish SLA’s and MOU’s to harden inter-agency data, knowledge sharing, and transition-to- operations programs Secure world-wide backup and product/service dissemination infrastructures to ensure reliable 24x7 on time/all the time delivery of actionable space weather guidance 8

National Space Weather Program Follow-on Presentations A coalition of the willing prepared to step up and make unique individual contributions to the unified space weather operational capability DOD/USAF: Colonel John Egentowich NASA: Dr. Michael Hesse NSF: Dr. Richard Behnke DOI/USGS: Dr. David Applegate 9