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Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
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SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: A SCIENCE FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY
TABLE 9.4 Summary of SWMI Prioritized Imperatives
Rank
Imperative
Missions
DRIVE
Space
Weather
1
Enhance the resources dedicated to the Explorer program and broaden the range of
cost categories.
2
Complete the strategic missions that are currently in development (MMS and RBSP/
BARREL) as cost-effectively as possible.
3
Initiate the development of a strategic mission, like MEDICI, to determine how the
magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system is coupled and responds to solar
and magnetospheric forcing.
4
Ensure strong continued support for extended missions that can still contribute
significantly to high-priority science objectives.
5
Enhance and protect support for theory, modeling, and data analysis, including
research and analysis programs and mission-specific funding.
6
Ensure continuity of measurements of upstream solar wind.
7
Invest significantly in developing the technologies to enable future high-priority
investigations.
8
Ensure strong multiagency support for a broad range of ground-based assets that are
a vital part of magnetospheric science.
9
Develop a mechanism within NASA to support rapid development, deployment,
and utilization of science payloads on commercial vehicles and other missions of
opportunity. NSF and DOD efforts in this regard are also encouraged.
10
Through partnership between NASA’s Heliophysics Division and Planetary Division,
ensure that appropriate magnetospheric instrumentation is fielded on missions
to other planets. In particular, the SWMI panel’s highest priority in planetary
magnetospheres is a mission to orbit Uranus.
11
Partner with other space agencies to implement consensus missions such as a
multispacecraft mission to address cross-scale plasma physics.
12
Encourage the creation of a complete architecture for the National Space Weather
Program that would coordinate joint research, commercial, and operational space
weather observations and define agency roles for producing, distributing, and
forecasting space weather products. In addition the SWMI panel encourages all
agencies to foster interactions between the research and operational communities
and to identify funding for maintaining a healthy research-to-operations and
operations-to-research program.
13
Implement a program to determine, based on past observations, the optimum
set of measurements that are required to drive high-fidelity predictive models
of the environment, and to put in place a plan to ensure that the optimum set of
observational capabilities is maintained.
14
Strengthen workforce, education, and public outreach activities.
15
If resources permit, initiate a strategic mission like MISTE to simultaneously
measure the inflow of energy to the upper atmosphere and the response of the
ionosphere-thermosphere system to this input, in particular the outflow back to the
magnetosphere.
16
Create an interagency joint laboratory physics program that addresses issues relevant
to space physics.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
258
SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: A SCIENCE FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY
TABLE 9.4 Summary of SWMI Prioritized Imperatives
Rank
Imperative
Missions
DRIVE
Space
Weather
1
Enhance the resources dedicated to the Explorer program and broaden the range of
cost categories.
2
Complete the strategic missions that are currently in development (MMS and RBSP/
BARREL) as cost-effectively as possible.
3
Initiate the development of a strategic mission, like MEDICI, to determine how the
magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system is coupled and responds to solar
and magnetospheric forcing.
4
Ensure strong continued support for extended missions that can still contribute
significantly to high-priority science objectives.
5
Enhance and protect support for theory, modeling, and data analysis, including
research and analysis programs and mission-specific funding.
6
Ensure continuity of measurements of upstream solar wind.
7
Invest significantly in developing the technologies to enable future high-priority
investigations.
8
Ensure strong multiagency support for a broad range of ground-based assets that are
a vital part of magnetospheric science.
9
Develop a mechanism within NASA to support rapid development, deployment,
and utilization of science payloads on commercial vehicles and other missions of
opportunity. NSF and DOD efforts in this regard are also encouraged.
10
Through partnership between NASA’s Heliophysics Division and Planetary Division,
ensure that appropriate magnetospheric instrumentation is fielded on missions
to other planets. In particular, the SWMI panel’s highest priority in planetary
magnetospheres is a mission to orbit Uranus.
11
Partner with other space agencies to implement consensus missions such as a
multispacecraft mission to address cross-scale plasma physics.
12
Encourage the creation of a complete architecture for the National Space Weather
Program that would coordinate joint research, commercial, and operational space
weather observations and define agency roles for producing, distributing, and
forecasting space weather products. In addition the SWMI panel encourages all
agencies to foster interactions between the research and operational communities
and to identify funding for maintaining a healthy research-to-operations and
operations-to-research program.
13
Implement a program to determine, based on past observations, the optimum
set of measurements that are required to drive high-fidelity predictive models
of the environment, and to put in place a plan to ensure that the optimum set of
observational capabilities is maintained.
14
Strengthen workforce, education, and public outreach activities.
15
If resources permit, initiate a strategic mission like MISTE to simultaneously
measure the inflow of energy to the upper atmosphere and the response of the
ionosphere-thermosphere system to this input, in particular the outflow back to the
magnetosphere.
16
Create an interagency joint laboratory physics program that addresses issues relevant
to space physics.