Decadal assessment of the National Space Weather Program

The United States National Space Weather Program (NSWP; http://www.nswp.gov/) began ten years ago as a collaborative enterprise between the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense (DoD). These four agencies co-chair the Program. Other agencies who participate include the Department of Energy (DoE), the Department of the Interior (DoI), and the Department of Transportation (DoT). The NSWP has operated under the auspices of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology (OFCM) and is based upon a Strategic Plan and an Implementation Plan. The OFCM, in conjunction with its Committee for Space Weather has sponsored over the last year a decadal review of the NSWP. An Assessment Committee comprised of researchers with meteorological, space physics, astrophysics, and policy backgrounds (D. N. Baker, U. Colorado, T. E. Jernigan, LLNL, D. J. Knipp, USAF Academy, R. A. Williamson, GWU, S. P. Worden, U. Arizona, R. J. Rizza (Ex. Sec., OFCM) has gathered input from the broad communities in the United States that are involved in space weather research and applications, including operations. This talk will present some of the findings and recommendations of the Assessment Committee, and will provide an opportunity for discussion of the future directions of the Program.