[House Hearing, 116 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
SPACE WEATHER: ADVANCING RESEARCH,
MONITORING, AND FORECASTING CAPABILITIES
=======================================================================
JOINT HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE,
AND TECHNOLOGY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
OCTOBER 23, 2019
__________
Serial No. 116-52
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
38-122PDF WASHINGTON : 2020
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas, Chairwoman
ZOE LOFGREN, California FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma,
DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois Ranking Member
SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon MO BROOKS, Alabama
AMI BERA, California, BILL POSEY, Florida
Vice Chair RANDY WEBER, Texas
CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania BRIAN BABIN, Texas
LIZZIE FLETCHER, Texas ANDY BIGGS, Arizona
HALEY STEVENS, Michigan ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas
KENDRA HORN, Oklahoma RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina
MIKIE SHERRILL, New Jersey MICHAEL CLOUD, Texas
BRAD SHERMAN, California TROY BALDERSON, Ohio
STEVE COHEN, Tennessee PETE OLSON, Texas
JERRY McNERNEY, California ANTHONY GONZALEZ, Ohio
ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado MICHAEL WALTZ, Florida
PAUL TONKO, New York JIM BAIRD, Indiana
BILL FOSTER, Illinois JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER, Washington
DON BEYER, Virginia FRANCIS ROONEY, Florida
CHARLIE CRIST, Florida GREGORY F. MURPHY, North Carolina
SEAN CASTEN, Illinois
KATIE HILL, California
BEN McADAMS, Utah
JENNIFER WEXTON, Virginia
------
Subcommittee on Environment
HON. LIZZIE FLETCHER, Texas, Chairwoman
SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas, Ranking
CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania Member
PAUL TONKO, New York BRIAN BABIN, Texas
CHARLIE CRIST, Florida ANTHONY GONZALEZ, Ohio
SEAN CASTEN, Illinois FRANCIS ROONEY, Florida
BEN McADAMS, Utah VACANCY
DON BEYER, Virginia
------
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
HON. KENDRA HORN, Oklahoma, Chairwoman
ZOE LOFGREN, California BRIAN BABIN, Texas, Ranking Member
AMI BERA, California MO BROOKS, Alabama
ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado BILL POSEY, Florida
DON BEYER, Virginia PETE OLSON, Texas
CHARLIE CRIST, Florida MICHAEL WALTZ, Florida
KATIE HILL, California
JENNIFER WEXTON, Virginia
C O N T E N T S
October 23, 2019
Page
Hearing Charter.................................................. 2
Opening Statements
Statement by Representative Lizzie Fletcher, Chairwoman,
Subcommittee on Environment, Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, U.S. House of Representatives...................... 9
Written Statement............................................ 10
Statement by Representative Roger Marshall, Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Environment, Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, U.S. House of Representatives...................... 10
Written Statement............................................ 11
Statement by Representative Kendra Horn, Chairwoman, Subcommittee
on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, U.S. House of Representatives...................... 12
Written Statement............................................ 13
Statement by Representative Brian Babin, Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives........... 14
Written Statement............................................ 15
Written statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson,
Chairwoman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S.
House of Representatives....................................... 16
Witnesses:
Mr. Bill Murtagh, Program Coordinator, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center
Oral Statement............................................... 17
Written Statement............................................ 20
Dr. Nicola Fox, Heliophysics Division Director, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
Oral Statement............................................... 25
Written Statement............................................ 28
Dr. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., VADM USN (ret.), CEO of
GeoOptics, Inc, and former Under-Secretary of Commerce for
Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Administrator (2001-2008)
Oral Statement............................................... 32
Written Statement............................................ 34
Dr. Harlan E. Spence, Director, Institute for the Study of Earth,
Oceans, and Space, and Professor of Physics and Astronomy,
University of New Hampshire
Written Statement............................................ 38
Discussion....................................................... 47
Appendix: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Mr. Bill Murtagh, Program Coordinator, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center... 66
Dr. Nicola Fox, Heliophysics Division Director, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration........................... 78
Dr. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., VADM USN (ret.), CEO of
GeoOptics, Inc, and former Under-Secretary of Commerce for
Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Administrator (2001-2008)....................... 84
Dr. Harlan E. Spence, Director, Institute for the Study of Earth,
Oceans, and Space, and Professor of Physics and Astronomy,
University of New Hampshire.................................... 90
SPACE WEATHER: ADVANCING RESEARCH,
MONITORING, AND FORECASTING
CAPABILITIES
----------
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Environment,
joint with the Subcommittee on Space
and Aeronautics,
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittees met, pursuant to notice, at 2:42 p.m., in
room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Lizzie
Fletcher [Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Environment]
presiding.
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairwoman Fletcher. This hearing will come to order.
Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a
recess at any time.
Good afternoon, and welcome to today's joint Subcommittee
hearing on advancing our Nation's space weather activities. I'm
happy to be here with my colleague, Space and Aeronautics
Subcommittee Chairwoman Horn, to discuss the important topic of
space weather.
The term space weather may not be familiar to everyone, but
we are aware of some of its more benign examples, such as the
northern lights. Space weather describes naturally occurring
disturbances in space that are primarily driven by the sun.
These variations in the space environment can negatively impact
technology in space such as satellites for weather and GPS,
pose health risks to our astronauts, and also affect critical
ground-based systems such as electric grids. Despite knowing
the potential for these significant impacts, our ability to
forecast space weather events with significant notice is
limited at best.
Given our society's dependence on many technologies that
could be impacted by space weather events, it's critically
important that we understand both the physical processes that
drive these phenomena, and how we can forecast them earlier to
allow adequate protection of critical assets. For this we need
to invest in scientific research and sustained observations.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is
responsible for the civilian forecasting through the National
Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center, SWPC. The
forecasters and scientists at SWPC collect data and
observations from their own network of satellites and work in
close partnership with other Federal agencies including NASA
(National Aeronautics and Space Administration), who we have
here today, the U.S. Air Force, the National Science Foundation
(NSF), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), among
others.
Assets in space provide key data necessary for accurate and
timely space weather forecasts. Disruptions in this data due to
malfunctions, as we are currently seeing with NOAA's Deep Space
Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, satellite, without a long-term
redundancy plan puts our critical infrastructure in space and
on the ground at risk.
A recent study contracted by NOAA on customer needs for
space weather products and services found that space weather
disturbances can impact major sectors of society, including
aviation, electric power, navigational satellites, and
emergency management. It highlighted the utility and importance
of NOAA's space weather products to protecting their
infrastructure from damage, but also made clear that they can
be further improved to allow for greater accessibility and
usability.
Improvements in our understanding of space weather will
come through robust collaboration between the Federal
Government and partners in both the commercial and academic
sectors. Though we only have witnesses representing the
government and commercial sectors today due to unforeseen
circumstances, I would like to stress the important role that
the research community plays in shaping these conversations.
This is especially true when it comes to understanding the
outstanding science questions in this field. It is critical
that we continue to foster these partnerships between the
government, academia, and commercial sectors. Indeed, it's
something that I often remark when I'm at home this Committee
in particular does so well.
I'm looking forward to today's discussion about the current
state of our space weather activities, from fundamental
research to forecasting, and receiving feedback on how Congress
can support improvements to our forecasting capabilities.
[The prepared statement of Chairwoman Fletcher follows:]
Good afternoon and welcome to today's joint subcommittee
hearing on advancing our nation's space weather activities.
I am happy to be here with my colleague, Space and
Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairwoman Horn to discuss the
important topic of space weather. The term space weather may
not be familiar to everyone, but we are aware of some of its
more benign examples, such as the Northern lights.
Space weather describes naturally occurring disturbances in
space that are primarily driven by the Sun. These variations in
the space environment can negatively impact technology in space
such as satellites for weather and GPS, pose health risks to
our astronauts, and also affect critical ground-based systems
such as electric grids.
Despite knowing the potential for these significant
impacts, our ability to forecast space weather events with
significant notice is limited at best. Given our society's
dependence on many technologies that could be impacted by space
weather events, it's critically important that we understand
both the physical processes that drive these phenomena, and how
we can forecast them earlier to allow adequate protection of
critical assets. For this we need to invest in scientific
research and sustained observations.
NOAA is responsible for the civilian forecasting through
the National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center
(SWPC). The forecasters and scientists at SWPC collect data and
observations from their own network of satellites, and work in
close partnership with other federal agencies including NASA,
who we have here today, the U.S. Air Force, the National
Science Foundation, and the United States Geological Survey
among others. Assets in space provide key data necessary for
accurate and timely space weather forecasts. Disruptions in
this data due to malfunctions, as we are currently seeing with
NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, without a
long-term redundancy plan puts our critical infrastructure in
space and on the ground at risk.A recent study contracted by
NOAA on customer needs for space weather products and services
found that space weather disturbances can impact major sectors
of society including aviation, electric power, navigational
satellites and emergency management. It highlighted the utility
and importance of NOAA's space weather products to protecting
their infrastructure from damage, but also made clear that they
can be further improved to allow for greater accessibility and
usability.
Improvements in our understanding of space weather will
come through robust collaboration between the federal
government and partners in both the commercial and academic
sectors. Though we only have witnesses representing the
government and commercial sectors today due to unforeseen
circumstances, I would just like to stress the important role
that the research community plays in shaping these
conversations. This is especially true when it comes to
understanding the outstanding science questions in this field.
It is critical that we continue to foster these partnerships
between the government, academia, and commercial sectors.
I am looking forward to today's discussion about the
current state of our space weather activities, from fundamental
research to forecasting, and receiving feedback on how Congress
can support improvements to our forecasting capabilities.
Thank you.
Chairwoman Fletcher. I would now like to recognize Mr.
Marshall for an opening statement.
Mr. Marshall. Thank you, Chairwoman Fletcher, for holding
this important hearing today on the topic of space weather. I
also want to thank our three witnesses for being here this
afternoon and sharing their expertise on this important topic.
Space weather is a term many people have not often heard
of. The term refers to the interaction of solar activity with
technology and life on Earth, as well as in orbit. This is by
no means a new phenomenon, as we have records of solar activity
going back more than 150 years. However, our need to forecast
this phenomenon has become more critical as our utilization of
space-based technology has increased.
When I consider the importance of space weather research to
Kansans, I think about the potential negative impacts solar
activity can have on our farmers and ranchers. The agriculture
sector is usually among the first of industry who adapt new and
innovative technologies to improve their operations.
Kansas farmers in particular have been at the forefront of
adapting precision agricultural practices. Precision
agriculture refers to the use of technologies such as GPS and
unmanned aerial vehicles to make decisions related to planting
crops and implementing conservation practices. The use of these
technologies helps our farmers make better informed decisions
about the timing and location of planting crops in order to
minimize irrigation and the use of fertilizer and pesticides.
I've seen firsthand the improvements in productivity and crop
yields for our farmers and ranchers who utilize these
techniques. None of these would be possible without the use of
GPS and satellite imagery, which are vulnerable to solar
weather incidents.
Accurate weather forecasting is another concern for our
farmers. Knowing precisely when to plant crops can help
significantly reduce input costs for farmers, which in turn
reduces costs for consumers. An especially severe space weather
event has the potential to damage our orbiting weather
satellites, which in turn would significantly reduce the
accuracy of our weather forecasts needed to help our farmers
make informed decisions.
A final area of concern for rural Kansans is the potential
impacts a geomagnetic storm could have on our electrical grid.
We have a basic understanding of the potential disruptions a
severe event can make on our power grid, resulting in blackouts
which would affect hospitals, schools, businesses, and our
farmers. What we still need is a more advanced knowledge of how
to prevent or mitigate the damages a space-weather-caused
blackout could have on critical infrastructure.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on how we can
ensure rural Kansas and all Americans are prepared for these
events. Thank you, Chairwoman Fletcher, and I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Marshall follows:]
Thank you, Chairwoman Fletcher, for holding this important
hearing today on the topic of space weather. I also want to
thank our witnesses for being here this afternoon and sharing
their expertise on this important topic.
Space weather is a term many people have not often heard.
The term refers to the interaction of solar activity with
technology and life on Earth as well as in orbit. This is by no
means a new phenomenon, as we have records of solar activity
going back more than 150 years. However, our need to forecast
this phenomenon has become more critical as our utilization of
spacebased technology has increased.
When I consider the importance of space weather research to
Kansans, I think about the potential negative impacts solar
activity could have on our farmers and ranchers. The
agriculture sector is usually among the first of industry who
adapt new and innovative technologies to improve their
operations.
Kansas farmers in particular have been at the forefront of
adapting precision agricultural practices. Precision
agriculture refers to the use of technologies such as GPS and
unmanned aerial vehicles to make decisions related to planting
crops and implementing conservation practices.
The use of these technologies helps our farmers make better
informed decisions about the timing and location of planting
crops in order to minimize irrigation and the use of fertilizer
and pesticides. I've seen firsthand the improvements in
productivity and crop yields for our farmers and ranchers who
utilize these techniques. None of these would be possible
without the use of GPS and satellite imagery, which are
vulnerable to solar weather incidents.
Accurate weather forecasting is another concern for our
farmers. Knowing precisely when to plant crops can help
significantly reduce input costs for farmers, which in turn
reduces costs for consumers. An especially severe space weather
event has the potential to damage our orbiting weather
satellites, which in turn would significantly reduce the
accuracy of our weather forecasts needed to help our farmers
make informed decisions.
A final area of concern for rural Kansans is the potential
impacts a geomagnetic storm could have on our electrical grid.
We have a basic understanding of the potential disruptions a
severe event could have on our power grid, resulting in
blackouts which would affect hospitals, schools, businesses,
and our farmers. What we still need is a more advanced
knowledge of how to prevent or mitigate the damages a space
weather caused black out could have on critical infrastructure.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on how we can
ensure rural Kansans and all Americans are prepared for these
events. Thank you, Chairwoman Fletcher, I yield back.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you. I'll now recognize the
Chair of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Ms. Horn,
for an opening statement.
Chairwoman Horn. Thank you, Chairwoman Fletcher.
Good afternoon, and welcome to our witnesses. I look
forward to your testimony today. And I am so pleased to be
working with Chairwoman Fletcher and the Ranking Members on
these two Subcommittees on this important hearing about space
weather and advancing research, monitoring, and forecasting
capabilities. This is an incredibly timely hearing, because it
allows us to talk about the connection between what we do in
space and our lives every day here on Earth.
Our activities in space not only advance and enable
scientific discovery and exploration, but also on the Earth
banking, telemedicine, natural resource management, and so much
more.
The orbiting spacecraft above--weather, communications,
GPS, and Earth-observing systems--are a critical part of our
national infrastructure. Solar phenomena or space weather such
as solar flares, solar wind, geomagnetic storms of energized
charged particles, however, can disrupt ground and space-based
technologies and infrastructure. Space weather can affect
everything from electrical power systems, satellites, aircraft,
space operations, including human spaceflight operations, and
other ground and space-based systems. The list is long. In
short, severe space weather events pose a significant threat to
our infrastructure, and in turn, to our economy, our national
security, and our lives here on Earth.
Currently, NASA's heliospheric research satellites and a
NOAA-NASA-Air Force operational satellite collect observations
used in space weather modeling and predictions. NASA's Advanced
Composition Explorer and the joint European Space Agency NASA
SOHO mission launched over 20 years ago, along with other NASA
spacecraft such as STEREO and the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
They provide critical information in forecasting solar
eruptions and their movement through the heliosphere. However,
these systems are aging, and we will have gaps in space weather
data once they reach the end of their operating lifespans. We
must develop the next generation systems for space weather
observations.
As a first step, however, we need to understand at a
national level what space weather observations and systems are
needed. Simply put, we need a strategy because we are only at
the early stages of our ability to predict and forecast space
weather. Improving our current capabilities will require a
strategy and investments in basic research, observations,
models, and the ability to transition research and models into
operational use.
The National Academies' 2013 Solar and Space Physics
Decadal Survey stated, ``Achievement of critical continuity of
key space environmental parameters, their utilization in
advanced models, and application to operations constitute a
major endeavor that will require unprecedented cooperation
among agencies in the areas in which each has specific
expertise and unique capabilities.''
Making advances in space weather will require a coordinated
effort among researchers, operational institutions, government,
academic, commercial, and international entities. The role and
perspectives of academia are essential in this effort. And
while we were unable to include the academic perspective today
due to unforeseen circumstances, as Chairwoman Fletcher noted,
it's important to recognize the importance of academia in
advancing space weather capabilities.
Madam Chair, the Nation's efforts to address the threats of
space weather demonstrate the ways in which our investments in
NASA and basic research benefit our society. In the case of
space weather, these investments are integral in ensuring the
safety and operations of our critical infrastructure on the
ground and in space. I look forward to hearing from our
witnesses on what is needed to advance our Nation's
understanding and ability to monitor, predict, and forecast
space weather. Thank you and I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Chairwoman Horn follows:]
Good afternoon, and welcome to our witnesses. I look
forward to your testimony. I'm pleased be working with you,
Madame Chair, on this important joint hearing on ``Space
Weather: Advancing Research, Monitoring, and Forecasting
Capabilities.''
This is a timely hearing, because it allows us to talk
about the connection between what we do in space and our
everyday lives on Earth. Our activities in space enable not
only scientific discovery and exploration, but also banking,
telemedicine, natural resource management, and so much more.
The orbiting spacecraft above-the weather, communications, GPS,
and Earth observing systems-are a critical part of our national
infrastructure.
Solar phenomena-or space weather- such as solar flares, the
solar wind, and geomagnetic storms of energized charged
particles, however, can disrupt our ground and space-based
technologies and infrastructure.
Space weather can affect everything from electrical power
systems, satellites, aircraft, and spacecraft operations
(including human spaceflight operations), and other ground and
spacebased systems. In short, severe space weather events pose
significant threats to our infrastructure, and in turn, to our
economy, national security, and society.
Currently, NASA heliospheric research satellites and a
NOAA-NASA-Air Force operational satellite collect observations
used in space weather modeling and prediction. NASA's Advanced
Composition Explorer and the joint European Space Agency-NASA
SOHO mission launched over 20 years ago, along with other NASA
spacecraft such as STEREO and the Solar Dynamics Observatory,
provide critical information in forecasting solar eruptions and
their movement through the heliosphere.
However, those systems are aging, and we will have gaps in
space weather data once they reach the end of their operating
lifetimes. We must develop the next generation systems for
space weather observations.
As a first step, however, we need to understand at a
national level what space weather observations and systems are
needed; we need a strategy. Because we are only at the early
stages of our ability to predict and forecast space weather.
Improving our current capabilities will require a strategy and
investments in basic research, observations, models, and the
ability to transition research and models into operational use.
The National Academies 2013 solar and space physics decadal
survey stated, ``Achievement of critical continuity of key
space environment parameters, their utilization in advanced
models, and application to operations constitute a major
endeavor that will require unprecedented cooperation among
agencies in the areas in which each has specific expertise and
unique capabilities.''
Making advances in space weather will require a coordinated
effort among researchers, operational institutions, government,
academic, commercial, and international entities. The role and
perspectives of academia are essential in this effort. While we
were unable to include that perspective today due to unforeseen
circumstances as Chair Fletcher noted, it's important to
recognize the importance of academia in advancing our space
weather capabilities.
Madame Chair, the nation's efforts to address the threats
of space weather demonstrate the ways in which our investments
in NASA and basic research benefit our society. In the case of
space weather, these investments are integral in ensuring the
safety and operations of our critical infrastructure on the
ground and in space.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on what is
needed to advance our nation's understanding and our ability to
monitor, predict, and forecast space weather. Thank you and I
yield back.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you. I'd now like to recognize
the Ranking Member for the Subcommittee on Space and
Aeronautics, Mr. Babin, for an opening statement.
Mr. Babin. Thank you, Madam Chair. I really appreciate it.
And thank you witnesses for being here. Thank you for holding
this hearing, absolutely. Thank you, Chairwoman.
Today's hearing is on a growing topic of national concern,
even if it is not an issue most of our constituents might
immediately identify with. Space weather, commonly defined,
refers to variations in the space environment between the Earth
and the sun due to solar activity. This is an ongoing
phenomenon which typically has minimal consequences. However,
it can have widespread effects such as interfering with GPS
signals and disruptions to our electrical grid during severe
events. We have had to be more mindful of the effects of space
weather as we have increased our use of satellites for
communication and remote sensing in our daily lives.
Space weather is an issue of importance across the Federal
Government. Agencies such as NASA and NOAA within our
Committee's jurisdiction play an important role in increasing
our knowledge and better monitoring space weather. However,
it's important to acknowledge space weather as a national
security issue. Our military has a variety of assets in orbit
around Earth which could be potentially harmed by
electromagnetic interference and are dependent upon satellites
built by NASA and operated by NOAA for timely and accurate
information.
Both the Obama and Trump Administrations have acknowledged
the need for better coordination of space weather-related
activities across the Federal Government by developing and
updating a Space Weather Strategy and an Action Plan. This plan
covers topics about how Federal agencies should identify and
protect infrastructure from acute space weather events which
agencies should lead mitigation and research activities.
Our Nation's infrastructure is not all that is threatened
by space weather events. I proudly represent the Johnson Space
Center, the home to NASA's Astronaut Corps. These are the
astronauts who currently work on the International Space
Station (ISS) more than 200 miles above the Earth's surface and
will one day serve on missions to the Moon and Mars. While we
have developed techniques and technology to reduce the threats
posed by increased radiation exposure due to a severe solar
event, we have much more work to do to mitigate these hazards
to our astronauts.
As the Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics
Subcommittee, I've supported efforts to spur the
commercialization of low-Earth orbit by private sector
companies. These new entrants into the space economy have a
vested interest in protecting their assets. However, they also
offer an opportunity to provide data and resources to our
Federal agencies as we seek to improve our space weather
efforts.
As this Committee potentially considers legislation
relating to space weather monitoring and research, we must be
certain that whatever legislation that we mark up is not a top-
down legislative mandate and ensures a role for the commercial
sector. The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act,
which was passed by this Committee and signed into law 2 years
ago, serves as a template for how we could accomplish this. The
Weather Act took steps to integrate commercial weather data
into NOAA's forecast models, and a similar model should guide
us when developing space weather legislation.
I want to thank our witnesses for taking the time to attend
today's hearing and sharing your valuable experiences and
expertise on this very important topic. And I look forward to a
productive conversation on how we best move forward.
And with that, Madam Chair, I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Babin follows:]
Thank you for holding this hearing, Chairwoman Fletcher.
Today's hearing is on a growing topic of national concern,
even if it is not an issue most of our constituents might
immediately identify.
Space weather, commonly defined, refers to variations in
the space environment between Earth and the sun due to solar
activity. This is an ongoing phenomenon which typically has
minimal consequences. However, it can have widespread effects
such as interfering with GPS signals and disruptions to our
electrical grid during severe events. We have had to be more
mindful of the effects of space weather as we have increased
our use of satellites for communication and remote sensing in
our daily lives.
Space weather is an issue of importance across the federal
government. Agencies such as NASA and NOAA within our
committee's jurisdiction play an important role in increasing
our knowledge and better monitoring space weather. However, it
is important to acknowledge space weather as a national
security issue. Our military has a variety of assets in orbit
around Earth which could be potentially harmed by
electromagnetic interference and are dependent on satellites
built by NASA and operated by NOAA for timely and accurate
information.
Both the Obama and Trump Administrations have acknowledged
the need for better coordination of space weather-related
activities across the federal government by developing and
updating a space weather strategy and action plan. This plan
covers topics about how federal agencies should identify and
protect infrastructure from acute space weather events and
which agencies should lead mitigation and research activities.
Our nation's infrastructure is not all that is threatened
by space weather events. I proudly represent Johnson Space
Center, the home to NASA's astronaut corps. These are the
astronauts who currently work on the International Space
Station more than 200 miles above the Earth's surface and will
one day serve on missions to the Moon and Mars.
While we have developed techniques and technology to reduce
the threats posed by increased radiation exposure due to a
severe solar event, we have more work to do to mitigate these
hazards to our astronauts.
As the ranking member of the space and aeronautics
subcommittee, I've supported efforts to spur the
commercialization of low Earth orbit by private sector
companies. These new entrants into the space economy have a
vested interest in protecting their assets. However, they also
offer an opportunity to provide data and resources to our
federal agencies as we seek to improve our space weather
efforts.
As this committee potentially considers legislation
relating to space weather monitoring and research, we must be
certain that whatever legislation we mark up is not a top-down
legislative mandate and ensures a role for the commercial
sector. The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act,
which was passed by this committee and signed into law two
years ago, serves as a template for how we could accomplish
this. The Weather Act took steps to integrate commercial
weather data into NOAA's forecast models and a similar model
should guide us when developing space weather legislation.
I want to thank our witnesses for taking time to attend
today's hearing and sharing your experience and expertise on
this important topic. I look forward to a productive
conversation on how best we move forward.
Thank you and I yield back.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you, Mr. Babin. If there are
Members who wish to submit additional opening statements, your
statements will be added to the record at this point.
[The prepared statement of Chairwoman Johnson follows:]
Thank you, Chair Fletcher.
I am pleased that the committee is holding this hearing to
examine crucial knowledge gaps that the space weather community
is working hard to address. I look forward to continuing the
discussion begun last Congress on how the federal government
can leverage our research, monitoring, and forecasting
capabilities to protect communities and limit costs to our
economy. It is my hope to move bipartisan space weather
legislation through the Committee this Congress that has
support from the full space weather community.
Though not as publicly prominent as the day-to-day weather
generated by Earth's atmosphere and oceans, space weather also
can disrupt lives and damage critical infrastructure. Solar
events such as solar flares, solar wind, coronal mass
ejections, and solar radiation storms send electromagnetic
radiation towards Earth's atmosphere which can disrupt GPS
function, radio and satellite communications, and our electric
grid. Severe space weather events occur about once a decade,
though more mild variability is routine.
The need for research on space weather is clear, as
fundamental scientific questions remain unanswered. Sustained
space weather observations and monitoring are equally
important. It is commonly said that space weather prediction is
around 50 years behind terrestrial weather predictions;
however, innovations such as Cubesats may be able to help
advance space weather research and operations.
I look forward to hearing from our expert panel to get an
update on the state of space weather R&D, and to explore how
Congress can facilitate high-level goal-setting and
coordination among federal agencies, the commercial sector, and
academia. I am delighted to see representatives from NOAA and
NASA, the two lead agencies that carry out research, collect
data, and generate space weather predictions, as well as a
distinguished panelist from the commercial sector. Though our
panelist from the academic sector was unable to make it due to
unexpected circumstances, the contributions of the academic
community are greatly appreciated. All three sectors do
critical work conducting the research, making the observations,
analyzing the data,improving the models, and bolstering the
preparedness of technologies, industry sectors, and communities
affected by space weather.
As I've said before, it is important for Congress to
continue the forward momentum of what was set in motion by the
National Space Weather Strategy and the National Space Weather
Action Plan in 2015. The persistent threat posed by space
weather to our economy, which is more and more reliant on
space- and ground-based infrastructure makes clear the need for
additional space weather research and collaboration. Now is the
time to put forth a legislative framework that can guide and
successfully leverage the ongoing work on this critical issue.
Thank you and I yield back.
Chairwoman Fletcher. At this time I would like to introduce
our witnesses. Mr. Bill Murtagh is the Program Coordinator for
the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.
In this position, he coordinates preparation and response with
emergency managers, industry, and government entities in the
U.S. and around the world. Previously, he worked at the Office
of Science and Technology Policy as the Assistant Director for
the Space Weather, Energy, and Environment Division where he
oversaw the development and implementation of the National
Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan. Before this, he spent
23 years in the Air Force working as a weather forecaster.
Next, we have Dr. Nicola Fox, the Heliophysics Division
Director in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA. Before
that, Dr. Fox was Chief Scientist for Heliophysics at the
Applied Physics Lab at the Johns Hopkins University where she
was the Project Scientist for NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the
first mission ever sent to a star. She previously was Deputy
Project Scientist for the Van Allen Probes and the Scientist
for the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics program. She
received her Ph.D. in space and atmospheric physics from
Imperial College London.
Finally, we have retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C.
Lautenbacher, Jr. Admiral Lautenbacher is the CEO and Director
of GeoOptics, a private company that collects and sells
actionable Earth systems data to improve prediction and
forecasting of weather and climate. He served as the eighth
Administrator of NOAA during the George W. Bush Administration
where he spearheaded the first-ever Earth Observation Summit.
Before NOAA, Admiral Lautenbacher founded a management
consulting business, worked in nonprofits, and spent 40 years
in operational command and staff positions in the Navy. He
received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in applied
mathematics.
For our witnesses, thank you for your written testimony,
which will be included in the record of the hearing. You will
each have 5 minutes for your oral testimony because your
written testimony is already included. And when you've
completed your spoken testimony, we will begin with questions
from the Members. Each Member will have 5 minutes to ask
questions of the panel.
We will start with opening statements, and we'll start
first with you, Mr. Murtagh.
TESTIMONY OF MR. BILL MURTAGH,
PROGRAM COORDINATOR,
NOAA'S SPACE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER
Mr. Murtagh. Good afternoon, Chairs Fletcher and Horn,
Ranking Members Babin and Marshall, and Members of the
Committee. I am Bill Murtagh, the Program Coordinator for
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, or SWPC, in Boulder,
Colorado.
NOAA is the official source of U.S. Government for civilian
space weather forecast warnings and alerts to the public,
industry, and government agencies. We work closely with the
U.S. Air Force, who is responsible for all DOD (Department of
Defense) and related national security needs for space weather
information. We work with NASA and other Federal agencies, as
well as private industry, academia, and international partners,
to ensure access to data and analysis that support our 24/7
mission to deliver products and services that protect our
society and our economy from space weather events.
These events could drastically affect our electric power
grid, telecommunications, our GPS-dependent technologies,
astronauts in space exploration, and of course aviation.
Critical to our mission operations are observations,
forecasts and warnings, science, and partnerships. I'll briefly
highlight each one of these. NOAA uses an array of space and
ground-based observations, employing specialized instruments to
support our space weather forecast operations and related
research. NOAA operates at three viewpoints to acquire the
space-based observations necessary to meet SWPC's operational
requirements. In Deep Space at the Lagrange Point One (L1),
which is located 1 million miles from Earth, we observe the
solar wind; at geostationary orbit for key observations of
solar flares, x-rays, and energetic particle radiation; and
low-Earth orbit for measurements of the ionosphere. NOAA also
leverages additional data from NASA and European satellites.
And we're in the process of developing the Space Weather
Follow-On program, which will provide mission continuity and
augment capabilities at the L1 point and in geostationary
orbit.
Ground-based data are also important to SWPC operations. In
particular, magnetic field observations provided by the USGS,
which are critical to our geomagnetic storm warning processes,
radio and solar observations provided by the U.S. Air Force and
solar and magnetic field labs from the NSF.
Once a solar eruption occurs, forecasters feed these
observations into computer models to determine the likely
effects of solar events on Earth. These models help forecasters
estimate when the effects will begin, how long they will last,
and how severe the event will be.
Similar to the categories we use to classify hurricanes or
tornadoes, there are space weather scales for communicating the
severity of space weather storms. These scales address radio
blackouts from solar flares, solar radiation storms due to the
sun-emitted energetic particles, and geomagnetic storms from
coronal mass ejected plasma and magnetic fields called coronal
mass ejections. The scales list possible impacts for each level
of storming and indicate how often these events might happen.
NOAA's space weather alerts and warnings are employed by
Federal agencies and users across many sectors to aid in
national preparedness in response to space weather.
NOAA is also advancing our research to operations
processes. This includes a new program, the Earth Prediction
Innovation Center or EPIC. EPIC will use partnerships with
academia, the private sector, and relevant agencies to test and
validate new capabilities and transition these capabilities
from research to operations, thereby improving our existing
forecast and warning capabilities.
NOAA is also exploring with NASA the potential for a space
weather testbed to further accelerate the transfer of research
to operations and operations to research. Strong public-private
partnerships are essential to maintain and approve the
observing networks, conduct research, create forecast models,
and supply the services necessary to support our national
security and our economic prosperity. NOAA is committed to
working toward the growth of the private sector as our national
infrastructure and technological base becomes more sensitive to
the impacts of space weather, thus demanding more improved
space weather services. NOAA will continue to explore
partnerships with the commercial and academic community as we
work to maintain and improve our operational capabilities.
In closing, NOAA appreciates the ongoing support we have
received from Congress for our critically important space
weather program. We will continue to work with other Federal
agencies, the private sector in this effort to develop and
strengthen our activities in space weather research and
forecasting, and I look forward to answering your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Murtagh follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you very much. Dr. Fox?
TESTIMONY OF DR. NICOLA FOX,
HELIOPHYSICS DIVISION DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Fox. Chairwomen Horn and Fletcher, Ranking Members
Babin and Marshall, and Members of the Subcommittees, it is an
honor to appear before these Subcommittees today to discuss
NASA's contributions to the understanding of space weather and
its impact on society.
Space weather is the result of complex interactions between
the sun, solar wind, Earth's magnetic field, and Earth's
atmosphere. Our ability to understand and predict space weather
is of growing importance to our Nation's economy, national
security, and of course our NASA astronauts.
Through its Artemis program, NASA is accelerating its
exploration plans to land the first woman and the next man on
the surface of the Moon by 2024. To meet these objectives, we
continue to accelerate development of the systems required to
ensure success. The Artemis missions will send humans beyond
the protection of Earth's magnetic field for the first time
since Apollo and expose our astronauts and the systems upon
which they will depend to a unique and potentially hazardous
space weather environment.
NASA's Heliophysics Division is working with the Artemis
program to support the human exploration of Deep Space and on
approaches to measure the radiation environment on and around
the Moon. These measurements will aid in the prediction and
validation of the radiation environment in which our astronauts
will be subjected.
Looking further into the future to journeys to Mars, NASA
astronauts will need the capability to autonomously generate
their own space weather data and predictions. To this end, the
Heliophysics Division is working with the Space Radiation
Analysis Group, or SRAG, at the Johnson Space Center on
possible experiments in cislunar space to develop the science
and technology needed for such predictions.
Artemis holds an important potential as a platform for
scientific research. There is intense interest in what we can
discover at the Moon. The lunar samples returned during the
Apollo program dramatically changed our view of the solar
system, and scientists continue to unlock new secrets from the
samples. Artemis missions may include installation of space
weather instruments on the Moon, and studies of the lunar
surface could yield significant insights into the space weather
over long time scales. There's just so much more to learn--
knowledge that we can acquire with sustained human and robotic
presence on the Moon.
NASA already addresses space weather impacts on astronauts
and spacecraft while maintaining the International Space
Station and protecting the astronauts living there. The
Community Coordinated Modeling Center, or CCMC, team at Goddard
Space Flight Center works with NOAA's Space Weather Prediction
Center to provide data and forecast to the SRAG, who can then
assess risks to the ISS. This experience will help NASA as we
continue how to best protect Artemis astronauts from space
weather impacts.
Space weather events are not only a concern for our
astronauts and spacecraft, airline travel, communications, and
precision navigation and timing systems like global GPS systems
and the electrical power grid on which we depend every day can
be impacted by space weather. The NASA Heliophysics Division
continues to study the sun and how it influences the very
nature of space, the atmospheres of planets, and in the case of
Earth, the technology that exists in low-Earth orbit and on the
surface.
The extensive dynamic solar atmosphere surrounds the sun,
Earth, and planets and extends far out into the solar system.
Mapping out this interconnected system requires a holistic
study of the sun's influence. NASA has a fleet of spacecraft
strategically placed throughout our heliosphere from Parker
Solar Probe nearest the sun observing the very start of the
solar wind, to satellites around Earth, including the
Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, mission, which
launched earlier this month, to the very farthest human-made
objects, the Voyagers, which are still sending back
observations on interstellar space. Each mission is positioned
at a critical well-thought-out vantage point to observe and
understand the flow of energy and particles throughout the
solar system, and each provide a very different view of the
complex system that leads to the space weather that we
experience.
The research carried out by NASA's Heliophysics Division is
improving our understanding of space weather. Working as the
research arm of the Nation's space weather effort, NASA
coordinates with NOAA, the National Science Foundation, and the
U.S. Geological Survey, and of course the Department of
Defense. NASA is also a member of the Space Weather Operations
Research and Mitigations interagency working group run by the
National Science and Technology Council, which coordinates
interagency efforts to carry out the actions and meet the
objectives identified in the Space Weather Strategy and Action
Plan.
In support of the Nation's space weather effort, the
Heliophysics Division has established the Space Weather Science
and Applications, or SWxSA program, in collaboration with our
sister Federal agencies, academia, and industry. The goal of
this program is to effectively support the transition of
heliophysics science results to applications that support our
user communities and to provide improvements in space weather
prediction models such as those used by SWPC. This activity
also supports the interagency space weather efforts and is
consistent with the recommendations of the 2013 decadal survey.
Furthermore, in coordination with NOAA, we have initiated a
pilot program to expand the interagency capability and improve
space weather products and services. We meet regularly with
NOAA to develop this shared framework for research to
operations, and as this matures, we will further integrate NSF,
DOD, academia, and the private industry.
NASA really appreciates the continued support from these
Committees, which ensures that the United States maintains a
superior position in understanding space weather and is
prepared to respond to space weather events. We look forward to
continued collaboration with our sister agencies, international
partners, academia, and industry, and I thank you very much for
your invitation to be here with you. And I'm happy to answer
any questions.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Fox follows:]
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Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you, Dr. Fox. Admiral
Lautenbacher?
TESTIMONY OF DR. CONRAD C. LAUTENBACHER, JR.,
CEO OF GEOOPTICS, INC., AND FORMER UNDER SECRETARY
OF COMMERCE FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE
AND NOAA ADMINISTRATOR (2001-2008)
Adm. Lautenbacher. Good afternoon, Chairman Fletcher and
Chairman Horn, Ranking Members Marshall and Babin, and
distinguished Members of the Subcommittees. It is my honor to
appear before you today at this important hearing to discuss
advancing research, monitoring, and the forecasting
capabilities for space weather.
GeoOptics has been fulfilling its NOAA NESDIS (National
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service)
contract under the Commercial Weather Data Pilot, CWDP, program
and has successfully delivered over 350,000 high data accuracy
GPS radio occultation profiles by the end of September 2019.
Having successfully demonstrated our data, we look forward to
NOAA NESDIS soon announcing its commercial data buy program.
Our success in demonstrating our technical capability to
NOAA NESDIS would not have been possible without the leadership
and support of many on this Committee and especially
Congressman Frank Lucas, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, and
former Congressman Jim Bridenstine for their support of the
Commercial Weather Data program in the Weather Research and
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017.
Our founder Tom Yunck originally proposed the GPS-RO (radio
occultation) technique in 1988 and oversaw the development and
improvement of the world's leading capability at the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory known as JPL. Over the last decade, a
series of government-funded satellites have refined the RO
technology and proven out its tremendous capability. GeoOptics
CICERO, which stands for Community Initiative for Cellular
Earth Remote Observation, nanosatellites, is the only U.S.-
based RO provider with the JPL gold standard for some of the
most accurate weather and climate data available, offering
significantly more impact per measurement than traditional
weather instruments.
We have worked with our partners at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems to commercialize
and miniaturize this technology. By launching smaller, less
expensive satellites, we will be able to make orders of
magnitude more data available to weather forecasters and
scientists around the world. And our pledge to the scientific
community is that all CICERO data will be provided free for any
research purpose.
Radio occultation data provides high-resolution temperature
and water vapor profiles by getting measurements of bending
angle profiles in the troposphere and the stratosphere with
high vertical resolution and accuracy. The measurement of
bending angles can be used to obtain information on
refractivity profiles which can be used to retrieve atmospheric
temperature and humidity profiles, as well as surface pressure.
Another objective is to provide space weather information
through measurement of electron density and its profile in the
middle and high atmosphere.
There is a robust interest from other private-sector space
weather technology companies to work with Federal agencies to
develop and implement solutions to deal with space weather. For
example, GeoOptics is a member of the American Commercial Space
Weather Association, commonly known as ACSWA, which is
comprised of 19 member companies with the common goal of
developing, delivering, and sustaining key space weather
products and services to mitigate threats to societal
infrastructure.
ACSWA plays an essential role in the academic,
governmental, commercial triad that forms the space weather
enterprise. ACSWA companies provide the insight, innovation,
and cost benefits to our Nation's preparedness and
responsiveness to space weather threats. ACSWA is a collective
voice for the commercial space weather sector and an advocate
for the enterprise.
Since its inception in 2010, beginning with five companies,
ACSWA has quadrupled in size. ACSWA serves as a catalyst for
collaboration between various organizations and the commercial
space weather industry. ACSWA works with government agencies,
academia, and industry stakeholders to strengthen the space
weather enterprise and to promote space weather, space weather
partnerships, and public commercial initiatives.
Last year, NOAA NESDIS issued its final report of the NOAA
Space Platform Requirements Working Group, the SPRWG, in
support of the NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture
study. As a part of this study, NESDIS initiated the Space
Platform Requirements Working Group, commonly known as the
SPRWG, to evaluate the future needs and relative priorities for
weather, space weather, and environmental remote sensing,
including land mapping, space-based observations for the 2030
timeframe and beyond.
One has only to look at the ranking of the space weather
measurements that were identified by leading NOAA and
university research scientists in the SPRWG report and compare
them to the technological capabilities offered by ACSWA
members.
Increased investments are needed from Congress to continue
to fund the commercial data buy program for GPS R.O. data that
benefit nowcasting and commercial weather prediction. Congress
should also consider a commercial space weather data program
for commercial sectors to provide cost-effective solutions for
the challenges of space weather as defined in the NOAA SPRWG
report.
The American Commercial Space Weather Association and its
member companies look forward to working with Congress and
Federal agencies in advancing their knowledge and understanding
of space weather. Thank you for your consideration. I will do
my best to address any questions you may have. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Adm. Lautenbacher follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF DR. HARLAN E. SPENCE, DIRECTOR,
INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF EARTH, OCEANS, AND SPACE,
AND PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY,
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you very much. At this point we
will begin our questions. We'll begin our first round, and I'm
going to start recognizing myself for 5 minutes.
First question really goes to solar wind data and DSCOVR,
so NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, satellite
is a partnership between NOAA, NASA, and the U.S. Air Force to
provide real-time solar wind data and to succeed NASA's
Advanced Composition Explorer or ACE satellite, which is beyond
its expected lifetime. It was launched in 2015 with an expected
lifetime of 5 years but has been in a safe-hold mode since June
of this year and is no longer transmitting data, leading NOAA
to revert back to collecting solar and wind data from ACE.
Mr. Murtagh, how critical are real-time solar wind
observations to the development of space weather forecasts?
Mr. Murtagh. They are indeed critical. We consider those
measurements at L1; it's our sentinel in space. When the
coronal mass ejection leaves the sun, we can see--other
instruments we use to observe it, that it's actually--or
directed. We really can't dissect it. We don't know what's in
that CME (coronal mass ejection) until it hits the L1 point.
And key to the measurements at L1 is the orientation of the
magnetic field because what the sun just shot out into space
was a magnet. A coronal mass ejection is a big magnetic field
and Earth is a magnetic field. The two magnetic fields are
going to come together, and how they couple together is going
to dictate how intense the geomagnetic storm response will be.
Once it passes that spacecraft, we have a sense for exactly
what the field is going to look like, and we immediately
notify, especially the electric power grid operators around
this country, just how big the storm is likely to be. So we
depend on that absolutely.
Chairwoman Fletcher. And this is a question for you and for
Dr. Fox. What other avenues of receiving solar wind data are
available if NOAA is unable to get DSCOVR back online and the
ACE satellite stops transmitting data?
Mr. Murtagh. None really. We are essentially blind if we
lose the ACE data and the DSCOVR data.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Dr. Fox, do you want to weigh in on
that?
Dr. Fox. So we would be blind until 2024. In 2024, NASA
will launch the IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration
Probe) mission, which is a mission really dedicated on looking
at the outside of our heliosphere and the boundary to
interstellar space. But we will carry with us the NOAA Space
Weather Follow-On L1 observatory as a rideshare. And so once
we're out there in orbit, then that gap would be filled, but
Bill is completely correct. Between those two events, there
really is no way of getting anything out there either.
Chairwoman Fletcher. OK. And are there any other long-term
contingency plans for getting solar wind data beyond what
you've described, either this program in 2024 or the existing
data collection mechanisms?
Mr. Murtagh. Yes. It's fortunately very much recognized by
NOAA the importance of this data. So we're pursuing, as Dr. Fox
just mentioned, a 2024 launch, but we've also just released a
Broad Area Announcement to the world, if you will, where we
want to look at what we should have as a follow-on. So we've
already begun the process of looking at what we need to have up
there after the IMAP mission.
Chairwoman Fletcher. OK. Thank you. Switching gears a
little bit, I do want to talk with the remaining time I have
left about our investments in space weather and want to ask in
your estimation what is the current Federal investment in
research compared to operations for space weather? And what
should the ratio of investment be in order to substantively
improve our forecasting capabilities?
Mr. Murtagh. So I would say our budget at SWPC is about $11
million or thereabouts, but one has to recognize that a
considerable amount of funds go to the observation platforms
within NOAA both at the DSCOVR, the L1 commitment, and of
course our spacecraft at geosynchronous orbit also very, very,
very much critical for the provision of space weather services
for the Nation.
I think an awful lot of money goes toward the research, but
so it should. You may have heard in the past about us being
about 30 to 50 years behind the meteorology community. It's
largely because the fundamental research necessary to better
understand the processes of the sun and the eruptions on the
sun and how they interact with the Earth, there is so much
research still necessary to get us where we need to be.
Chairwoman Fletcher. OK. Dr. Fox, do you want to weigh in
on that before we wrap up?
Dr. Fox. Also the sheer space that we have to cover is very
different. The sun is 93 million miles away, and there is a--
you know, so it is easy to say we are behind the terrestrial
weather, but there is an awful lot more space to cover which
makes it very important for us to have continued measurements
covering that full area.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you so much. And I have gone
over my time, but I thank you for your answers to my questions.
And I will now recognize Mr. Marshall for 5 minutes.
Mr. Marshall. Thank you, Chairwoman. My first question for
Mr. Murtagh, I mentioned in my opening statement the importance
of precision agriculture, precision agriculture for Kansas
farmers and ranchers and the dependence upon data from
satellites in orbit. Has NOAA reached out to any agriculture
groups, any opportunities there that you would like to educate
us on?
Mr. Murtagh. Yes. Perhaps I could answer that with a little
story. Five or 6 years ago we got contacted by a company that
develops the machinery for our farming. And we'd had a space
weather event a few weeks earlier, and they got all sorts of
calls from their customers trying to figure out why their GPS-
dependent technology was not working so well. The company
realized there was a space weather event. They reached out to
us. They said could we get the information to them and they in
turn would redistribute it to all their customers.
And we saw that as a great way of doing it, so we followed
up with them and others as much as we can, the folks that make
the machinery, that make the equipment that goes into that
machinery, the GPS-dependent equipment, and let them distribute
the information to all the users. And we know it's worked
because we have this product subscription service with over
50,000 subscribers right now. And when I look at that, as I do
every month with the several hundred new subscribers, I will
see lots of different farming groups signing up for the alerts
and warnings. So we've got the word out there. I think we can
do more.
Mr. Marshall. So are you able to predict those an hour
before, a day before, a week before?
Mr. Murtagh. So what they're most concerned about is
impacts on the atmosphere typically associated with geomagnetic
storms, so when we see the eruption on the sun, we can
typically give them a 1- to 3-day notice that something's going
to be coming up and something's going to be disturbing the
ionosphere, stay tuned because they can----
Mr. Marshall. Yes.
Mr. Murtagh [continuing]. Plan their farming for tomorrow
and get a warning from us and say we'll postpone that activity
until the next day.
Mr. Marshall. And typically they're knocked out for a day
or two or----
Mr. Murtagh. Sometimes just hours, but on the big storms--
and sometimes we have an outbreak--October 2003 comes to mind--
where this storm, we went down and out for about 2 weeks, so we
like to get that information continuously flowing into the
agricultural groups, knowing, be careful if you use your GPS
and you're expecting precision navigation or precision
measurements because it may not be there.
Mr. Marshall. OK. Admiral Lautenbacher, what are the ideal
roles for the Federal Government, the academic community, and
the commercial sector in developing strategies to address
severe space weather events?
Adm. Lautenbacher. I think it's very important that we have
an architecture that sets up the joining and melding of these
great assets that we have in the United dates. When you look at
the government, the government has to make the rule sets so
that the playing field is fair. And so that needs to be--and
government has--the only people that can do that. Nobody else
can do that. The rest of it is competition.
Academia is needed for government investment in the
research, as you just heard, and that has to go on, and that's
mostly done in our academic world. So we are dependent upon
that.
And when you get to the commercial sector, you have the
ingenuity and the experience of working to provide very
efficient solutions to the research that's been invented and
the needs of the space production centers. And if we put that
together in that way and have a comprehensive combination of
those forces, we can do much better than we do today.
Mr. Marshall. OK. Yes, I yield back. Thank you.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you very much. I'd now like to
recognize Ms. Horn for 5 minutes.
Chairwoman Horn. Thank you, Madam Chair. This is incredibly
important, glad we're having this conversation. As I mentioned
in my opening statement, I want to turn to a couple--more
discussion, and this is a question for all of you, a couple of
questions about the gaps so we can better understand as we
address these issues. The bottom line I think is we have to do
what's necessary to protect our space assets. We've covered
many reasons from farming to our communications, our electrical
grid, and our national security.
So in looking at these risks to our infrastructure, I'd
like to hear from each of you briefly what are the biggest gaps
in our space weather forecasting capabilities, and what we
should prioritize to make the biggest impact in reducing these
gaps.
Mr. Murtagh. There are so many unfortunately. I refer to
them as the holy grails when I talk to our colleagues in the
science community. One is simply this. Again, I'll give you an
example. It was October 17, 2003. I'm on the forecast desk and
looking at the sun. There's no sunspots. We need sunspots
typically if we're going to have big activity. I've got
customers asking what is space weather going to look like for
the next week. I say, well, pretty darn calm-looking right now.
One week later we had three Jupiter-sized sunspot clusters.
That's about 10 times the diameter of Earth on the sun. These
were intense Carrington-like very large complex sunspot groups.
The bottom line is this. We have no real ability to predict
that's going to happen. If we could only understand a little
bit about when these sunspots are going to emerge, and when
they do start growing, when are they going to stop growing
because that happens sometimes, too. We'll have them grow in 1
day, 2 days later, and then it's gone, but it is a big, big
limitation. People ask us what's going to happen a week or two
from now. Well, we really don't know at solar minimum, not much
sunspot activity, solar max, but we cannot forecast those
sunspots.
And one last piece, when the sunspots do emerge and we know
there's potential for big eruptions, 5 minutes prior to the
eruption, we don't know it's about to occur. So there are
significant limitations. And I limited my comments to the sun.
I could share all the way down to Earth with some of the
serious challenges we face.
Dr. Fox. So I would say, you know, NASA is really
addressing a lot of these gaps by putting up the new missions.
Parker Solar Probe of course brings to mind as now being the
first mission to a star that is really going in and helping us
to unlock exactly this area that Mr. Murtagh was just talking
about, which is how do these sunspots, what is the structure of
them, and the only way to really do that is to go and study
them up close. And so we are certainly making big strides to
close those gaps.
I do think that we need to do a continued effort to
transition our scientific models into operational platforms,
which we're working incredibly closely with our colleagues at
NOAA to do that. We talked about the framework and the testbeds
to really take advantage of all of the stuff that we are doing
in the NASA Heliophysics Division and really taking benefit of
all of that amazing science research and getting it into the
operational community.
Adm. Lautenbacher. The gaps that we have today could leave
us in very big trouble in the United States. A Carrington event
today as opposed to when it actually occurred would be
disastrous, worth maybe $20 billion just to think about trying
to recover the power systems that we have, all of the wonderful
television and radio and computer connections and our entire
energy system would be devastated. And to even imagine--to try
to recover that is huge. So these gaps are not meant--you know,
a number of gaps cause that issue.
We really need to work on the plans that we built. And I've
got right here a copy of the SPRWG study, which has illustrated
what we need to do in here in terms of the type of measures we
need to take, the type of instruments we need to have, and we
need to get the money and the support to do this. Thank you.
Chairwoman Horn. Thank you all. I just have a few seconds
left, so I'll keep this short, but I think it's an important
piece to touch on, and that is determining the difference
between space weather and artificial or manufactured events,
especially in the area of our national security. How much are
we able to distinguish between those? And because of time, Mr.
Murtagh, I would just direct that to you. Where are we in that
capability, and what do we need to do to address that big
question?
Mr. Murtagh. Well, certainly it's one of the reasons we
really want to make sure we get our information and data out.
We work globally. Space weather has a global effect, so when
one of these big space weather events happen, we want everybody
to know it is in fact a natural environment that's causing the
problems. So it's just a key element in the process here is to
make sure people have the situational awareness. And obviously
the DOD has their own capabilities to sense when it's not
natural, so----
Chairwoman Horn. Thank you. I yield back.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you. I'll now recognize Mr.
Babin for 5 minutes.
Mr. Babin. Thank you, Madam Chair. You all have already
touched on some of this, but with advance warning, Mr. Murtagh,
with advance warning, what can we do on Earth to prevent a
major catastrophe such as an electric power outage? You can't
really tell in advance. What can we do to harden our systems
down here? We've been talking about this for years, and I'm not
sure we've yet taken it seriously from a national security
standpoint. Can you address that?
Mr. Murtagh. Yes, I think the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission stepped in some years ago to essentially advise the
industry that this was a real threat and then direct standards.
So the power industry, there's essentially two pieces to it
here. One is the engineering solution, so they are exploring
opportunities to harden the various components of the grid, so
a lot of work underway right now on them trying to do just
that.
The second piece is the operational response, and that is
essentially that we get the alerts and warnings out to them,
and they understand what to do with information. So again,
that's really an awful lot of work just in the past several
months and years to address that threat. So we're coming at it
at kind of a two-prong approach, the engineering solution and
the operations response. But I think because government and
FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, did step in and
mandate these activities, things are happening.
Mr. Babin. That's good. I'm very glad to hear that. And,
Dr. Fox, are astronomy and heliophysics the same thing, and if
not, what are the differences and which discipline should lead
to space weather activities as it pertains to research and
operations?
Dr. Fox. So the sun is a star, as we all like to say, and
so there's a lot of overlap between astronomy and heliophysics.
But heliophysics is really focused on the study of our star,
our sun, and its impact on Earth. Both, you know, high up and
very close down to us, all the technology that we really rely
on is--sort of lives in the heliophysics neighborhood. But it's
extremely important as we move to look for exoplanets and
habitability around other stars, you know, heliophysics and
astro are very linked there because what you can learn about
our star in our--kind of in our backyard is then applicable to
other astrophysics systems. But heliophysics really is the
science research arm of the national space weather program.
Mr. Babin. Thank you very much, fascinating. And Admiral
Lautenbacher, how important is space weather, just a general
question, but how important is space weather to our national
security?
Adm. Lautenbacher. It's a lot more important than most
people think, I got to tell you. Yes. It's incredibly
important. In the problems we would have with a natural attack
if you want to call it that with the--with our power grids and
our electronics that run the world today would just stall
things----
Mr. Babin. Yes.
Adm. Lautenbacher [continuing]. Where they are. We need to
have a lot more people in all sectors understand what that
means because we're talking about a whole society. We're not
talking necessarily about one store or one powerplant. We're
talking about months to try to get powerplants back online and
all of the things that we use to control the manufacturing, our
food production, all of the relationships we have between
companies and governments and the basic items that are needed
for life are absolutely in the mix on this. So we need to take
this very seriously. We need to get more people involved. The
private sector has a lot to offer and so do all the agencies.
They need to be put together in these plans which have been put
together with experts, and we need to fund them and support
them.
Mr. Babin. Yes, sir. Thank you very much. One more
question, and this is for you Admiral. How is the space weather
information collected by NOAA shared with the general public
and the private sector, and how can NOAA better serve non-
Federal organizations that may be interested in space weather
forecasting information? Admiral?
Adm. Lautenbacher. Yes. I thought that was for someone
else.
Mr. Babin. OK. No. You want me to repeat it?
Adm. Lautenbacher. Please----
Mr. Babin. Sure.
Adm. Lautenbacher [continuing]. Because I didn't hear the
first part.
Mr. Babin. How is the space weather information collected
by NOAA, and how is it shared with the general public and the
private sector, and how can NOAA better serve non-Federal
organizations that may be interested in space weather
forecasting information?
Adm. Lautenbacher. I got it.
Mr. Babin. OK.
Adm. Lautenbacher. And why I checked out was you said NOAA.
I was last head of NOAA in 2008.
Mr. Babin. OK.
Adm. Lautenbacher. So I thought that would go to Bill. But
anyway, that's OK. Because he's----
Mr. Babin. Well, I'm out of time, so whoever wants to
answer that can.
Adm. Lautenbacher. Yes, Bill, do you want to try it because
you're here. I am not current. I'm exactly what NOAA is doing
in all of the things. I can tell you what I'd like to have them
do but I'm not current on that. Bill maybe more current than I
am right now.
Mr. Babin. I'm out of time so just very rapidly if you
don't mind.
Mr. Murtagh. Yes. Well, we have a policy in NOAA to make
sure this data is made publicly freely available to all, so we
have different systems, ground-based systems to bring down the
space weather information, and we redistribute it. We process
it and redistribute it and make it available, pretty much
everything we do to everybody out there.
Mr. Babin. Right. OK. Thank you. I yield back.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you. I'll now recognize Ms.
Bonamici for 5 minutes.
Ms. Bonamici. Thank you so much. Thank you to our witnesses
for your testimony and your expertise. I noticed when Dr. Babin
made his opening statement he made a comment about how space
weather might not be at the top of the minds of our
constituents. It didn't come up in any of my townhall meetings,
but I think if you said to people what if there was something
that would disrupt your power, affect flights, your GPS
wouldn't work, I think they would all be very, very concerned.
And we know that space weather has the potential to affect
our planet, our economy, everything so instantly. And as we
continue to rely on infrastructure like electric power grids
and aviation satellites and global navigation satellite
systems, and as we promote greater exploration of space, I
think we become more susceptible to the effects.
So last year when we held a hearing on space weather, it
was revealed that the United States is probably decades behind
the forecast capabilities for terrestrial weather predictions.
And we don't have the capabilities to prepare ourselves before
an event occurs. And when you look at the cost of preventing an
impact, it's probably quite low compared to recovering from an
event.
So, Mr. Murtagh, in your testimony you talked about the
space weather scales and determining the relative severity of
space weather storms. And last Congress I worked with Ranking
Member Lucas on the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation
Act. Thank you, Admiral Lautenbacher, for your mention. We had
extensive conversations in this Committee about how weather
forecasts don't serve the needs of the public unless they're
effectively communicated.
So following up actually on the conversation you were
having with Dr. Babin, the stakes seem even higher for space
weather events. So how does NOAA balance communicating the
urgency of space weather events but also recognizing the level
of uncertainty that persists in forecasting these events?
Mr. Murtagh. So we absolutely prioritize getting the
message into the hands of the right people first. It's a
business where if we do all the right things, in other words we
detect, we observe the incident, we predict it correctly, we
get the information into the hands of the power grid operators,
they take action and nothing happens because everything worked
right. So we've got to get the information into the hands of
the satellite operators, grid operators. That is our number one
priority.
We do also recognize the fact that social media, while it's
great in so many ways, it could be really hell during a space
weather event.
Ms. Bonamici. Right. Right.
Mr. Murtagh. And so one of the things we do as quickly as
we can is initiate--and we worked this through the Comms office
at National Weather Service and NOAA is to initiate a media--
not a press--it would be a press call and a media call, tele
call. We'd bring in about 100-plus I think on the last time we
activated that. And we try to get the messaging out. We try to
use the mainstream media to get good information out there
because all sorts of things are going to be said.
Ms. Bonamici. Sure.
Mr. Murtagh. And our website's going to have the
information, but who's going to be running to SWPC, right?
Ms. Bonamici. Right. Right. I think the last time I asked
about risk management and event risk management, and, you know,
there are vulnerabilities in those systems, as we know.
I want to ask Dr. Fox a question. What I really want to ask
you is what's on your shirt, but I am going to ask you--is that
the most important question of the hearing? Is it something
related to space weather?
Dr. Fox. So it's Parker Solar Probe. And in my defense I'm
giving an IAC (International Astronautical Congress) lecture at
6 p.m. on Parker Solar Probe.
Ms. Bonamici. Perfect.
Dr. Fox. So I'm kind of dual dressed----
Ms. Bonamici. Perfect.
Dr. Fox [continuing]. Today.
Ms. Bonamici. That's perfect.
Dr. Fox. I apologize.
Ms. Bonamici. Thank you. So, Dr. Fox, in your testimony you
highlighted several key missions that will help map out the
interconnected system and provide a holistic assessment of the
sun's influence. So following up on the conversation about gaps
in research, what do we need to fill them? I think
Representative Horn asked about what the gaps were. How can
Congress help fill those gaps? What are the best ways to do
that?
Dr. Fox. So, I mean, I think one of the really nice things
about being the Heliophysics Director is all the science that
we do really does have a public purpose. You know, it really is
easily translatable. There is a reason that we do it. It's
really, really cool science, it's really great research, but
there's always this human benefit because we are looking at the
impact of our closest star on us here at Earth.
So we do continue to launch new missions. We are very
thoughtful about the new missions that we select through our
Explorer program and through some of our strategic programs,
and we of course really, really do look to the National
Academy. So as we move into our next decadal to be looking at
better helping us to really, you know, put the science where it
needs to be. And so really keeping the focus on the importance
of space weather and the importance of heliophysics as a
discipline is really critical.
Ms. Bonamici. And in my last few seconds, is there
agreement on where the gaps are among everyone here? Does
everybody agree where the gaps are, and then we have to figure
out how to fill them?
Dr. Fox. So I think probably any scientist will tell you
the gap is in their favorite area of science, but, I mean,
really understanding the star so really exactly what Mr.
Murtagh said, you know, going in and understanding those
sunspots, that's the key that, you know, understanding how they
form and then better being able to say, oh, that one, I've seen
that before, that one's going to do this tomorrow. And you
really can only do that going in and really understanding the
star.
Ms. Bonamici. Thank you.
Mr. Murtagh. And we do work very closely together.
Ms. Bonamici. Perfect.
Dr. Fox. We do.
Ms. Bonamici. My time is expired. Thank you. I yield back.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you. I'll now recognize Mr.
Posey for 5 minutes.
Mr. Posey. Thank you, Madam Chairs and Ranking Members, for
holding this very important meeting. I think space weather is
one of the most under-prioritized subjects that we have in
Congress.
We heard from a panel previously that we missed a solar
interruption, or CME that you call it, a couple years ago by 1
week on our orbit that would have knocked out all our
satellites, killed all our power grids, and they couldn't even
quantify the damage other than to say it would have been
catastrophic.
There was a book written about a similar knocking out of
our grid called One Second After. I don't know if any of you
all have ever read that book before, but it's just frightening.
And that was written from reports that Members of Congress have
received on the EMP threat, same effect as we've had from those
huge solar eruptions.
And so a question that I have for you is, you know, what
plan does our government have in place if our satellites or
spacecraft detected a geomagnetic storm headed right for us?
Mr. Murtagh. So it would depend of course on which sector
we're talking about. When a big event is coming, we're in touch
with the satellite operators around the world, power grid
operators, the aviation dispatchers, and they'll reroute the
flights away from the poles and whatnot.
But the key right now, there's an effort underway within
the Space Weather Operation and Research Mitigation Working
Group at OSTP (Office of Science and Technology Policy) to
define benchmarks where we want to say how big is big so we can
protect against that level? Because that's kind of where we're
at right now, the step is we've got to recognize that number,
that value, and then work with industry to take the appropriate
steps.
It's happening already to some degree obviously with the
power grid. We have given them a number, the volts per
kilometer. If we get to this value, you need to assess will you
survive. They are doing that right now. They'll understand
which equipment is vulnerable and then take action to protect
it. So hopefully in the coming not-too-distant future, we get
to a place where we think that they can withstand almost
Carrington-type event. So we're working on getting there
because we know a lot about this storm. We didn't 20 years ago.
We do now, and we're working toward mitigating, hardening the
system if you will, to withstand one of these big events.
Mr. Posey. Yes, I've noticed industry hasn't had much
interest in hardening. Industry is interested in bottom-line
and bonuses for the next fiscal year.
Mr. Murtagh. Yes.
Mr. Posey. What do you think we should do to overcome that?
Mr. Murtagh. Well, I think that--and I mentioned this
already--FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) stepping
in and telling them, directing them to do this assessment, what
was critical. And where it's difficult is not in the high-
latitude States. States that border Canada recognize this
threat because they experience it quite regularly. It's the
mid-latitude States and the lower-latitude. Those folks could
have been there for 40 years working that system and they'll
say, why am I worried about this, I've never seen this before?
We haven't had an 1859 event since 1859.
Mr. Posey. Right.
Mr. Murtagh. So the only way really to get them motivated
to move and do the right thing is largely I feel with FERC
stepping in and----
Mr. Posey. Yes. Besides the outages that caused Quebec to
lose their power for about 9 hours, what other ones are we
aware of? Are there a bunch of other minor ones?
Mr. Murtagh. Yes, there was--so actually--yes, there was--
we go back to 1859 for that big event. In 1921 there was a
paper published just last month suggesting that the 1921 storm
might have been as big as Carrington, and that 1921 storm was
the one that caused the fires in railway--they call it the
Railway Storm because it actually caused fires in downtown
Manhattan in the railway station due to the induced current. So
there was that one and the one you mentioned in July 2012,
which was a near miss. So there are three or four Carrington-
class events. There has been many, many others. The Bastille
Day events that Dr. Fox just whispered in my ear was a big one
that occurred in 2000. There was the 2003 event that brought
the grid down in Malmo, Sweden, and damaged many transformers
in the Eskom network in the South Africa. So I could go on and
on with a list of these things.
Mr. Posey. Obviously, the research is important to the
survival of our species. You know, what effect do you think
would have globally if the 1859 event happened today?
Mr. Murtagh. Well, I think it would be significant in many
ways obviously. Again, depending on which sector--a huge part
of this whole national strategy and action plan that was
referenced already is to--one of the first big part of that is
assess the vulnerability of our critical infrastructure. We're
in the process of doing that now. To get to a point where we
can accurately answer your question is just what would happen
if we got this level of storming? We have still a lot of work
to do to understand that vulnerability.
Mr. Posey. OK. Thank you. So we really don't know.
And, Madam Chair, thank you for letting him answer the
question.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you, Mr. Posey. I'll now
recognize Mr. Tonko for 5 minutes.
Mr. Tonko. Thank you, Chairwoman Fletcher, and thank you,
Chairwoman Horn, both of you for holding this hearing, and
thank you for the witnesses for joining us today.
Space weather may seem like a far-off topic, but it has
many implications, as we all know, for our lives on Earth. Our
ability to monitor and predict space weather events hinges on
our continued support for research, for the workforce, and for
innovative collaboration.
This past August, the new NOAA USGS model for electric
power grid operators went live. This map illustrates regional
electric field levels in the U.S. using near-real-time data to
show the extent of space weather impact that could affect the
power grid.
So, Mr. Murtagh, since its launch, to what extent has the
map been useful to grid operators in mitigating the impacts of
space weather on critical infrastructure?
Mr. Murtagh. Not much use yet just because we haven't had
anything happen since its release. However, we think it's a
huge step forward, and I'll tell you why. When SWPC issues a
warning on the scales we talked about, G4--it's a geomagnetic
storm, emphasis on geo, meaning it's an Earth storm. But the
folks in this Nation that operate the grid want to know is what
about where I live? What's going to happen? What's going to
happen to greater New York City versus San Francisco?
And this new geo-electric field is going to provide that
kind of information, not on the magnetic field but the actual
electric field that develops so they can calculate the current
that's going to be introduced into their system, that D.C.
current that they don't want to have to deal with this product
is going to provide us. So we envision this thing--this model
running operationally 24/7 in grid centers around this country.
Mr. Tonko. And in regard to the improvements there, what
outreach has occurred to ensure that stakeholders are aware of
the development of the opportunity?
Mr. Murtagh. So, fortunately, there's the North American
Electrical Reliability Corporation in Atlanta that are
essentially responsible for enforcing the standards that came
from FERC. Within that group, which involves all of industry,
there is a GMD, a geomagnetic disturbance task force. We are a
big part of that. Every meeting, which is about quarterly,
we're in there updating them with this information and advising
them when it's available, and when it is available, we let them
know when it was distributed to everyone so we know it went to
every grid, electric power generation and transmission entity
across this country and Canada.
Mr. Tonko. Thank you. And to both you, Mr. Murtagh and
Admiral Lautenbacher, what economic and social science research
exists that might help us understand the potential impacts on
different sectors of our economy in regard to the economic and
social research being done?
Mr. Murtagh. Shall I? There was--I think it was referenced
once already, NOAA sponsored a report recently. It's online.
It's published a couple years ago. The Abt Associates was the
company that did it, which is essentially--we asked them to
give us a sense of the potential economic impact on the various
sectors from an extreme space weather event.
So that document was released, and someone referenced a $20
billion impact. That was a number associated with a grid
outage, a 9-hour outage in a relatively small area in this
country due to a geomagnetic storm. So that document has helped
as a good reference, a good reference material for us to use.
Mr. Tonko. OK. Anything that you want to add to that,
Admiral?
Adm. Lautenbacher. No, that's the best thing that I know of
that we have out there right now.
Mr. Tonko. OK. And with the space weather effects that
range from insignificant to highly disruptive to our
communication systems, with the public and business
involvement, should they prepare for such events if they--are
they informed in a way to know how to respond to different
events? And how often do different kinds of space weather
events occur?
Mr. Murtagh. So on the NOAA space weather scales, it's a
question that's so often asked. How often do they occur? So we
did include it on there. And that 1 through 5 where 5 is an
extreme event on a radiation storm, the S scale, we haven't had
one of them in 30 years. We started taking measurements in
1974. We haven't had one yet. On the G5 level, extreme
geomagnetic storm, typically we'll get one or two per cycle. I
think the last one was in 2003.
Industry and customers are so wide-ranging now, some of
them quite sophisticated and understand this stuff like
satellite operators. Many others, not so much. Airlines would
be a good example. So we do maintain close communications with
those folks to make sure that they understand what they're
getting when they get it.
Mr. Tonko. OK. My time is now exhausted, so I will yield
back.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you very much. I'll now
recognize Mr. Murphy for 5 minutes.
Mr. Murphy. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to say
thank you to the presenters. Your expertise and dedication to
this field is exemplary, and it's obvious.
You know, one person made a comment a few minutes ago, I
think it was Mr. Murtagh, about individual weather. That's what
most people care about. They want to look outside and see if it
can have a picnic or go to a ballgame. But it's under your
responsibility, it's under our responsibility really to look at
the bigger global picture. And so I thank you for that. It's an
important thing that doesn't have partisan politics in its back
pocket. It doesn't have national politics in its back pocket
because the Earth is one place, and it's affected globally by
events that occur in the sun. So, again, thank you for your
dedication. It's really important really for us as a species if
it is.
Just a couple questions. I'll be a lot more granular. I
live down on the East Coast of North Carolina. My district
probably has more coastline than anybody else in North
Carolina, so I want a crack here at your brains on seeing if
you can help me. Is there anything that we have as far as space
weather prediction? You know, we have these things called
hurricanes, and we don't like them in North Carolina, but they
tend to come right to us. And so I didn't know if there's
anything that you guys have, you know, up your sleeve that help
us in the future to be able to predict the intensity, predict
the path, predict the rainfall amounts that we can use to
better gauge how these will affect us.
Mr. Murtagh. Yes. And there's been a term we've been using
at the operation center. We call it the money chart, and that's
what you're looking for is something that makes sense to
people. But is it to identify when GPS may be having problems
or when there's a potential grid problem? We are absolutely
focusing--and I mentioned it already with the geoelectric field
model--focusing on trying to capture that key piece, where will
the impacts be felt? We should be past that point where we're
advising the whole world something's going to happen, it's
going to hit somewhere, maybe in South Africa, maybe in
Scandinavia, or maybe in New York City. We have got to be able
to identify and then help the folks in North Carolina
understand when space weather might affect them. So we are
getting there.
I have introduced a new suite of models on the Earth
modeling system that's helping us just drill down and start--
we're years away, but we have to start somewhere to get to that
point where we can do just as you ask.
Mr. Murphy. Excellent. Thank you. Just one other question.
You know, the United States, we seem to be leading in this
regard. This is a global issue. It's a global phenomenon. How
much funding does the United States put in compared to other
nations? And where are we in trying to get our global partners
to jump on the bandwagon and really participate in this as an
earthly event?
Dr. Fox. So we have very close partnerships with many of
our overseas colleagues. We actually sort of work together on a
lot of the missions. For example, solar orbiter, which is an
ESA mission, has a couple of NASA instruments but NASA is
actually launching it for them. We are also in--talking to them
about a possibility of an L5 mission, so Mr. Murtagh mentioned
the L1 point, which is a million miles away. L5 is kind of off
to the side, so it lets you look at those sunspots coming round
before they actually get to you. And so we're actually talking
very closely with them about that.
We've talked to many of our sister agencies in other
countries because really, as you note, space weather is a
global problem. It doesn't just hit one place. You may be
unlucky, and we happen to be at the midnight sector, which is
that kind of worst place to be as things come rushing down on
the night side, but until we can really say it's going to be
here at this time and this is the country that's in that little
window, it's really a global problem. So we work very, very,
very closely with all of our sister agencies to really make
this a global solution.
Mr. Murphy. Excellent. Thank you, Madam Chair. I yield back
my time.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you very much. I now recognize
Mr. Crist for 5 minutes.
Mr. Crist. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank both the
Chairs for convening this hearing. I appreciate that very much.
It's sort of an overarching question to anybody who wants
to answer it, and thank you all for being here by the way.
What's the most dangerous aspect for humans from space weather?
Dr. Fox. So that really depends honestly on the system that
you particularly care about. For the human body, for our
astronauts, that's why we really have to watch the space
radiation, and we've put a lot of investment and a lot of
effort. NASA's number-one priority is the safety of our
astronauts.
Down here on Earth obviously we don't have to worry about
that, but airline passengers, we watch the radiation for those.
Power grids we've already talked about. That becomes very
critical if suddenly it's a life-and-death situation where
you're relying on that power grid to be up. So it really
depends a little bit on your perspective, but for NASA,
certainly it's the radiation effects on our astronauts.
Mr. Murtagh. If I could just add to that, the Committee
might be interested to know that within the United Nations
there's the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
who has been working on this issue for over a decade now. And
coming up next month, hot off the press will be a new suite of
space weather services that will be provided for global
aviation, space weather services. And the ICAO group have
identified three centers for the provision of these services,
and the United States is one of the three. The threat of course
is communications, navigation, but also, as Dr. Fox mentioned,
radiation exposure. When you fly over the poles, there is
increased radiation that can cause some problems.
Mr. Crist. Great. Admiral?
Adm. Lautenbacher. I mentioned that there is also part of
the commercial sector that produces sensors that people can
wear and maintain and get immediate connection with the ground
to find out whether they're getting exposure that could be
dangerous and how they can change the mission and that sort of
thing. So these inventions that are out there now are going to
be very helpful to the aviation world.
Mr. Crist. Thank you very much. Thank you all. So radiation
is the greatest concern it sounds like?
Mr. Murtagh. Just from human exposure. And obviously----
Mr. Crist. Indeed.
Mr. Murtagh [continuing]. Losing electric power over a wide
area for a long length of time would be a big, big concern.
Mr. Crist. Certainly. What is the cause of the radiation in
space? Is it solar spots or--yes?
Dr. Fox. So the increased radiation usually is because of
those sunspots that we call it a flare where you see that
bright flash of light and it accelerates particles at about
half the speed of light, so they take 8 minutes for light to
travel from the sun to the Earth. It's about 15 to 20 to 30
minutes, those particles will start coming in.
However, we live with our own radiation environment around
us. We have the Van Allen radiation belts, the two intense
radiation belts that kind of encircle the equator, and we have
a lot of spacecraft, space assets that actually have to travel
through these belts. And sometimes when we get these big
events, these belts can grow both in size and also in
intensity, and so that can have a very big impact on the assets
that maybe they're not actually supposed to be in the radiation
belts and suddenly that radiation belt kind of grows and
engulfs that spacecraft.
Mr. Crist. Is it safe to say generally that our atmosphere
protects humans on Earth for the most part from any radiation
from the sun?
Dr. Fox. Yes, we're very lucky from that. Yes.
Mr. Crist. I would say. And I guess probably my last
question, Dr. Fox, to you, in your testimony you note the
potential for the Artemis program to further our knowledge of
space weather and space radiation. It is my understanding that
this is because the Moon is well outside of the Earth's
protective magnetic field. What challenges or opportunities
does the orbit of the lunar gateway present for heliophysics,
particularly as it relates to space weather?
Dr. Fox. So definitely lots and lots of opportunities, as
you note. The Moon is sometimes protected when it's behind the
Earth. It's in our magnetosphere, so it's protected, but there
are a lot of times when the Moon is actually out in what we
call the pristine solar wind, so this continually expanding
atmosphere of the corona coming out and engulfing us. And so we
really look forward to being able to further our knowledge of
what is in this solar wind and then apply that to our Artemis
program as we go forward to the Moon and Mars and beyond.
Mr. Crist. Great. Thank you, all three of you, very much.
Thank you, Madam Chairs.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you. I'll now recognize Mr.
Perlmutter for 5 minutes.
Mr. Perlmutter. Thanks, Madam Chair. And, Bill, good to see
you.
Mr. Murtagh. Good to see you.
Mr. Perlmutter. Thank you all very much for your testimony
today. I'll be pretty brief, just a quick statement and then a
couple questions. So thank you for convening this hearing. I've
been interested in space weather for some time now, and I'm
excited the Committee is really looking at this closely.
Colorado, Mr. Murtagh, has some of the best minds,
laboratories, and research institutions on space weather in the
country. We have institutions like CU Boulder and the National
Center for Atmospheric Research, as well as NOAA's Space
Weather Prediction Center, among others. And that's why Cory
Gardner, a Senator from Colorado, is working with Gary Peters,
a Senator from Michigan, on the Space Weather Research and
Forecasting Act in the Senate, and that's why we've been
encouraging the Science Committee to take up that legislation
to help the academic community and the commercial sector best
contribute and participate in our space weather enterprise, so
to work with NOAA through this whole process and make sure we
don't have silos. And, you know, over the last couple years I
can see that those silos have been really disappearing, which I
just want to applaud you all so that we're not all just sort of
not talking to each other.
And just since I was introduced to this subject, clearly
the communication lines between the academics, the government,
and the commercial sector have just improved magnificently.
The Senate Commerce Committee passed an updated version of
this legislation in April, and since that time, I've been
working with Mo Brooks to update that legislation with some
additional provisions and move us closer to passing the bill
into law. Our overarching goal through this legislation is to
advance space weather research and forecasting enterprise, help
solidify the swim lanes, who's actually doing what, but then
really continue a robust communication between the different
groups.
I want to thank Mr. Brooks for his partnership on this
issue and the committee staff for their expertise as we've been
drafting this bill. We hope to release the text of the bill
next week to get additional feedback from all of you, our
colleagues, the agencies, and academia and the commercial
sector.
So, Admiral, I'd like to start with you. I see Mr. Murtagh
not on a regular basis but from time to time, and you know,
since I'm not too far away from the Space Weather Center. So my
question to you is, what things do you think need to be done to
improve the overall communication between the academic
community, NOAA, and the commercial sector? And then I'll ask
you about the military in just a second.
Adm. Lautenbacher. We have to build a more robust system
that combines what I would say meetings, kind of protocols to
deal with. And we get used to the fact that we need to work
together across--from--and the civilian side is maybe a little
more fractured because there are different companies, but we do
have, you know, organizations that bring together companies and
can work with government agencies. It's very hard to take a
government agency and work with a group of companies. And
that's too hard, I'm not going to work on this one today.
In this area, we really need to stress ourselves and get to
the point where we have those mechanisms. The mechanisms allow
a phone call to be picked up and talk directly and so that we
can do rapid reaction, moving of the data, moving of the
issues. The commercial sector is in good shape in a way because
it has folks all the way from basic research all the way up to
emergency management to help in situations. So we would like to
be involved in those kinds of conversations and the bill could
help us set up something that would be, I think, more robust
than we have today. Thank you.
Mr. Perlmutter. Dr. Fox, what are your thoughts?
Dr. Fox. So I, first of all, would recognize the tremendous
efforts that have really helped us from the National Space
Weather Strategy and Action Plan, and they're really providing
a forum for us to work really, really well together on really
tough problems. I mean, as you can probably note, NOAA and NASA
are working very, very closely together on the space weather
piece itself, taking all of our great research and then making
sure that we really are transitioning it. So I really think
that has just been a tremendous benefit.
And I'll also note that, you know, at NASA we've really
embraced this idea of sort of rideshare programs. There is now
a rideshare policy that we have of making sure if there's
something launching that we look for other opportunities to
take more mass to space, get more science in space. And that of
course includes our commercial partners also. And so under the
Artemis program we really are exploring even more the
commercial side.
And then I'll just throw in--I know that we're out of
time--but from our decadal survey, we were asked to do this
DRIVE (Diversity, Realize, Integrate, Venture, Educate)
initiative. And one of the big things was the science centers,
and so that really does just provide this amazing forum for
academia, government, industry all working together. We're
excited. We got 39 proposals. It's a nightmare to try and
review them, but it's a product of our own success, so we're
happy.
Mr. Perlmutter. All right, thank you. And, Bill, I'll ask
you my question when we're on the flight home.
Mr. Murtagh. All right.
Mr. Perlmutter. I'll see you.
Chairwoman Fletcher. Thank you. Thank you. Well, before we
bring the hearing to a close, I want to thank all of you for
your testimony here today. I think it was really important, and
I'm so glad that we were able to have this hearing.
The record of the hearing will remain open for 2 weeks for
additional statements from the Members and for any additional
questions that they may ask of you. And so I look forward to
seeing your additional answers or should more questions be
sent, and I think I saw my colleague Ms. Horn jotting one down,
so I think you all can all expect at least one.
But for now, you all are excused, and the hearing is
closed. Thank you so much.
[Whereupon, at 4:11 p.m., the Subcommittees were
adjourned.]
Appendix
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Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
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