The National Space Weather Program: Implementing National Capability

The OFCM-sponsored National Space Weather Program (NSWP) is a Federal interagency initiative established in 1995 to improve the provision of space weather services to our Nation and to facilitate interagency cooperation with regard to supporting research activities. In the past year, the NSWP has moved decisively to develop the new Unified National Space Weather Capability (UNSWC) initiative to rapidly leverage the best capabilities of member agencies to improve space weather services. The NSWP recently launched the new Unified National Space Weather Portal website (www.spaceweather.gov/portal) to provide easy access to the wide range of Federal space weather services and supporting research activities.

In order to raise public awareness about space weather impacts and services, the NSWP conducts the Space Weather Enterprise Forum (SWEF) annually, in Washington, DC. The NSWP Council organized and hosted the SWEF in 2011 and 2012, each drawing more than 200 policymakers, senior government leaders, researchers, government and private-sector service providers, space weather information users, the media, and legislators and staff from Capitol Hill.

Another example of OFCM interagency coordination efforts is the NSWP Response to an Executive Office of the President Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) study request to assess space- and ground-based data sources necessary to support space weather forecasting for the next 10 years. The resulting report was submitted to OSTP in September 2011 and updated in April 2012. Beyond its value as a stand-alone document, the report was used by OSTP's National Earth Observation Task Force to assess future space weather needs.

In 2013, the Council will continue to push forward to develop the UNSWC, host the 2013 SWEF, foucs on Education and Outreach, and develop the new NSWP Science Roadmap and Implementation Plan which will incorporate elements the National Academies' Decadal Survey on Solar and Space Physics and other Federal agency initiatives.