NOAA Space Environment Center—exciting changes and challenges

The NOAA Space Environment Center (SEC) is the Nation's official source of space weather alerts and warnings, and provides real-time monitoring and forecasting of solar and geophysical events. In recognition of the operational nature of the Space Environment Center, and our Nation's ever-growing demand for space weather products, SEC joined the National Weather Service as a full member of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction in Jan 2005. The effects of this change in SEC's parentage will be discussed, with an emphasis on SEC's anticipated growth in services to the aviation community.

The new important products and services introduced by SEC in 2005 will be discussed. Also, the status of efforts to replace NASA's aging real-time monitor (ACE) in the solar wind ahead of Earth, an "upstream data buoy," will be described. Other important challenges facing SEC in the near-term include acquiring an “operational” coronagraph, and transitioning space environment models and research results in operations.