Ionospheric variability creates many practical problems that motivate efforts toward better forecasting and monitoring. At the same time it presents challenging plasma physics problems having to do with issues such as the development and propagation of irregularities. Ultraviolet remote sensing is among the best means of obtaining the required diagnostics to support both basic and applied research on these space weather effects. The methodology consists of measuring atomic and molecular lines of nitrogen and oxygen in the far- and extreme ultraviolet. By observing a complement of as few as four key lines it is possible to set up an effective monitoring system, providing practical parameters for ionospheric characterization as well as density profiles of relevant species. The global occurrence of ionospheric irregularities and the speeds with which they develop and propagate make it impractical to monitor them effectively from low earth orbit. The Ionospheric Mapping and Geocoronal Experiment (IMAGER) is a FUV/EUV imaging system for geosynchronous orbit now being constructed by the Naval Research Laboratory. The instrument consists of a telescope, filter system, and detectors that will obtain images of a 1000 km square field with 10 km resolution in a suite of spectral lines (1304, 1356, 1430 and 834 Å); it is able to provide diagnostics either on the day or night side, and either at nadir or on the earth limb. The GEO site for IMAGER and these instrumental capabilities will advance space weather monitoring toward the type of monitoring that has been achieved with satellite imagery for tropospheric weather. This work is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.