Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act
(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to:
The National Science and Technology Council shall establish an interagency working group on space weather, including representatives of the federal agencies participating in the National Space Weather Program, and of other federal agencies, as appropriate.
In order to understand and respond to the adverse effects of space weather, such program shall leverage capabilities across participating federal agencies.
It is the sense of Congress that the interagency collaboration between NASA and NOAA on terrestrial weather observations provides:
NASA and NOAA shall enter into at least one interagency agreement that provides for cooperation and collaboration in the development of space weather spacecraft, instruments, and technologies.
It is U.S. policy to establish and sustain a baseline capability for space weather observations.
The OSTP, in coordination with NOAA, NASA, NSF, and DOD, shall develop an integrated strategy for solar and solar wind observations beyond the lifetime of current assets that considers the provision of:
In developing such strategy, the OSTP shall consider small satellite options, hosted payloads, commercial options, international options, and prize authority.
In order to sustain current space-based observational capabilities, NASA shall:
NOAA shall secure reliable secondary capability for near real-time coronal mass ejection imagery.
NOAA, in coordination with DOD and NASA, shall develop options to build and deploy one or more instruments for near real-time coronal mass ejection imagery.
In developing such options, NOAA shall consider commercial solutions, prize authority, academic and international partnerships, microsatellites, ground-based instruments, and opportunities to deploy the instrument or instruments as a secondary payload on an upcoming planned launch.
In securing reliable secondary capability for near real-time coronal mass ejection imagery, NOAA shall make it a priority to achieve a cost-effective solution.
NOAA shall develop an operational contingency plan to provide continuous space weather forecasting in the event of a SOHO/LASCO failure.
Within 120 days of the enactment of this bill, NOAA shall brief Congress on the options for building and deploying the instrument or instruments and the operational contingency plan.
NOAA, in coordination with DOD, shall develop requirements and a plan for follow-on space-based observations for operational purposes.
The OSTP shall report to Congress on the integrated strategy, including the plans for follow-on space-based observations.
The NSF the Air Force, and where practicable in support of the Air Force, the Navy shall each:
The NSF shall:
NOAA, the Air Force, and where practicable in support of the Air Force, the Navy, in conjunction with other relevant federal agencies, shall conduct a survey to identify and prioritize the needs of space weather forecast users, including space weather data and space weather forecast data needed to improve services and inform research priorities and technology needs.
NOAA, the Air Force, and where practicable in support of the Air Force, the Navy, shall:
As part of the program, the NSF, NASA, and DOD shall continue to carry out basic research activities on heliophysics, geospace science, and space weather and support competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research, modeling, and monitoring of space weather and its impacts, including science goals outlined in Solar and Space Physics Decadal surveys conducted by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
As part of such program, the NSF, NOAA, and NASA shall pursue multidisciplinary research in subjects that further our understanding of solar physics, space physics, and space weather.
It is the sense of Congress that NASA and the NSF should support competitively awarded Heliophysics Science Centers.
NASA shall seek to implement missions meeting science objectives identified in NAS Solar and Space Physics Decadal surveys.
NASA, the NSF, NOAA, and the Air Force, and where practicable in support of the Air Force, the Navy shall:
NOAA and DOD, in coordination with NASA and the NSF, shall develop a mechanism to communicate the operational needs of space weather forecasters to the research community.
NASA and the NSF shall support the development of technologies and instrumentation to improve space weather forecasting lead-time and accuracy to meet needs identified by NOAA.
NASA and the NSF shall:
NOAA shall make space weather related data obtained from operational forecasting available for scientific research.
The provisions relating to space weather under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 are repealed.
(Sec. 3) The Space Weather Interagency Working Group shall:
Within 18 months of the development of the preliminary benchmarks, the working group shall publish final benchmarks and NASA shall contract with the NAS to review them.
The working group shall update and revise the final benchmarks as necessary, based on:
(Sec. 4) NOAA shall inform DHS about space weather hazards to protect national critical infrastructure from space weather events.
DHS shall:
(Sec. 5) The National Security Council shall:
DOD shall inform the National Security Council, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of the defense agencies about space weather hazards for purposes of the protection of those assets.
(Sec. 6) The FAA shall assess:
The FAA shall develop methods to increase the interaction between the aviation community and the space weather research and service provider community.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-385.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-385.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 689.
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