The Space Weather Operational Readiness Development (SWORD) Center of Excellence: and update on progress and plans

The Space Weather Operational Readiness Development (SWORD) center will improve space weather forecasting for orbital geospace with a focus on the Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) environment. The SWORD effort comprises two research tracks: Track 1 will couple the University of Michigan space weather modeling framework (SWMF) "Geospace" model of Earth's magnetosphere with the University of Colorado/NOAA Whole Atmosphere Model with Ionosphere-Plasmasphere Electrodynamics (WAM-IPE). This will improve both predictions of penetration electric fields that drive upper atmospheric dynamics, particularly during geomagnetic storms, as well as field-aligned currents and plasma flows from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere. Track 2 will add upper atmospheric data assimilation to the WAM-IPE model under the NASA/NOAA/DOD the Joint Effort for Data assimilation Integration (JEDI) framework as well as real-time extreme ultraviolet solar irradiance from the GOES/EXIS instruments for improved solar flare response and nowcasting. Machine learning is an element of both research tracks, providing sub-grid process refinements in Track 1 and accelerating data assimilation efforts in Track 2. In this presentation, we report on the progress made during the first year of the 5-year SWORD effort and discuss plans for upcoming workshops, educational outreach, and other activities.