Tuesday, 11 January 2005
Space weather policy issues
As we move into the twenty-first century, our society is becoming more dependent on activities and technology that are affected by conditions in the space environment. Solar and geomagnetic events can impact many different sectors that affect our daily lives--navigation, satellites, communications, pipelines, electric power systems, and human health in space and flight. At the same time, emerging science and new technologies have created new opportunities for monitoring the space environment and predicting periods of hazard. However, little policy framework exists tailored to aid the decisions of either the government or private enterprise in this area. How can decision makers assess the overall societal threats, both in magnitude and urgency, and scale the appropriate investments in space weather services and supporting R&D? This presentation will discuss several policy issues emerging as the field of space weather advances.
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