A Research Strategy to Advance Solar and Space Physics

The decadal survey proposes an integrated research strategy designed to unify observational, theoretical, and computational efforts across the solar and space physics community. This strategy emphasizes the coordination of satellite missions, ground-based facilities, and modeling frameworks to study the Sun, the heliosphere, and their interactions with Earth and other planetary environments as a connected system. The strategy also prioritizes cross-agency collaboration, targeted investments in data infrastructure and workforce development, and a balance between fundamental discovery science and use-inspired research, such as space weather forecasting and mitigation.

Given the growing need for space weather services in the coming decade, the decadal survey report also calls for an enhanced, coordinated, multiagency space weather research and operations program as part of an integrated research strategy. This program includes an extensive pipeline of demonstration instruments, missions, and projects that feed future space weather operational missions, including a possible stand-alone space weather demonstration mission developed and operated by the NASA Heliophysics Space Weather Program.

An Integrated HelioSystems Laboratory

Central to the decadal survey’s strategy is the HelioSystems Laboratory, a new initiative intended to enable sustained, system-level investigations by combining data streams and modeling capabilities from multiple agencies and disciplines. Together, these elements advance both scientific understanding and societal resilience in the face of space environment hazards.

SPACE-BASED ASSETS

The decadal survey report recommends that NASA pursue two new discovery-enabling missions as part of the HelioSystems Laboratory. The Solar Polar Orbiter would consist of a spacecraft that orbits the Sun’s poles, making unique measurements to investigate how the Sun generates its magnetic field and how the field drives solar activity and space weather, shaping the heliosphere over the course of the solar activity cycle. The other space-based mission, Links, is a groundbreaking combination of an in situ constellation and remote sensing imaging spacecraft. This combination provides global-scale views of highly structured plasmas with in situ “ground-truth” multipoint measurements. These views will provide definitive answers to questions such as how does the highly structured plasma in the Earth’s magnetotail give rise to the global-scale energy dissipation in a geomagnetic storm. Answers to these questions provide input to and verification of magnetospheric models that are used to predict space weather.

GROUND-BASED ASSETS

NSF asked the decadal survey committee to prioritize candidates for inclusion in its large and “mid-scale” ground-based facilities programs.

The decadal survey report recommended the Next Generation Global Oscillations Network Group, an enhanced successor to the highly successful National Solar Observatory GONG network concept, for Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) funding. This comprehensive ground-based network is the first to include operational space weather requirements from its conception.

The highest priority, ground-based, mid-scale projects are a prototype development of the Distributed Arrays of Small Heterogeneous Instruments concept and implementation of the Frequency Agile Solar Radiotelescope concept. Working together, these components of an integrated strategy will provide scientists with the opportunity to explore the coupled Sun–Earth system, enabling discoveries that span from solar activity to its impacts on Earth’s atmosphere and human infrastructure.

ADDITIONAL ASSETS

Additional important elements of the HelioSystems Laboratory include multiagency space weather observations and the continuation of the NASA Explorers, Suborbital, and CubeSat programs. These highly successful programs are important for science, instrument development, and training.

The Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) and Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere–Ionosphere Coupling (DYNAMIC) missions, recommended in the previous decadal survey and now with targeted launch dates in 2031, are designed to advance our understanding of the dynamic region of near-Earth space where Earth’s atmosphere interacts with space weather. These missions will help close a major gap in the ability to observe this region and its effects on satellites, communications, and navigation systems. The decadal survey report reaffirmed the critical scientific value of both missions. They would serve as trailblazers for future space missions that will use coordinated groups of satellites, ushering in a new era of space science that relies on integrating observations, advanced computer models, and theoretical research.

A COMMUNITY SCIENCE MODELING PROGRAM

How do we make sense of the heliosphere, a region so vast that it begins at the surface of the Sun and extends nearly 25 billion kilometers into interstellar space? Spanning such immense distances, the complex physical processes that link these vastly different regions can only be understood by the most advanced computer models running on the world’s most powerful supercomputers.

Today’s solar and space weather models are more advanced than ever, simulating complex processes like solar flares, radiation storms, and the interaction between Earth’s atmosphere and space. These models require powerful computing tools to replicate how particles and energy move through space and affect our planet. Doing so involves massive amounts of data and sophisticated software, which push the limits of current technology. However, progress is often slowed because many research groups lack the sustained

infrastructure and support needed to take full advantage of cutting-edge computing resources.

The decadal survey recommends establishing a NASA modeling program commensurate in scope, ambition, and national significance to its flagship-class programs to significantly advance our understanding of the Sun–Earth system. This program would integrate cutting-edge science across different regions of space—such as the Sun’s atmosphere, the solar wind, and Earth’s magnetic environment—into unified models that explain how solar activity affects our planet. It would drive scientific advances in understanding the physical processes behind solar storms—like flares and coronal mass ejections—and the high-energy particles they release, which can endanger satellites, astronauts, and ground-based technologies. The report also recommends that operational space weather organizations coordinate with the scientific community to support complementary modeling efforts. This partnership would ensure that the new insights and capabilities developed through the flagship program are effectively transitioned into operational services that protect critical infrastructure and support national resilience.

Enhancing Research and Technology: DRIVE+

Research and technology programs are essential to realizing both the full scientific potential and real-world utility of investments in both space- and ground-based infrastructure. These programs support critical activities such as data analysis, theoretical and computational modeling, research infrastructure development, technology innovation, and the cultivation of a skilled workforce.

While the integrated HelioSystems Laboratory will produce the coordinated observations necessary to pursue the decadal survey’s ambitious scientific goals, this wealth of data must be analyzed, interpreted, and translated into scientific insight. Achieving that outcome requires a vibrant, well-resourced research enterprise capable of sustaining a healthy, innovative scientific community.

Building on the Diversify, Realize, Integrate, Venture, Educate (DRIVE) framework from the 2013 decadal survey, this survey introduces DRIVE+, an updated and expanded long-term strategy to organize and enhance agency research programs. DRIVE+ outlines new initiatives and bolsters existing efforts in

four key focus areas: workforce development, collaboration and coordination, research tools, and technology development. DRIVE+ would

• Invigorate technology and workforce development programs that inject new capabilities and new ideas into the field;
• Strengthen collaboration among agencies to improve coordination and maximize the impact of data collected across the HelioSystems Laboratory;
• Provide researchers with the tools and resources necessary to fully leverage observations from past, current, and future missions; and
• Expand support for theory and modeling efforts across a range of scales and project sizes.

Preparation for Future Endeavors

An important element of the research strategy is preparation for the next decade and beyond. Creating an integrated HelioSystems Laboratory and using its assets effectively will require a coordinated approach from NASA, NSF, and NOAA, coupled with community input, to develop new tools and standards and increase cooperation with international partners.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

Solar and space physics is a global enterprise for which international collaboration is not just desirable but necessary to address the core science program and support space weather science and operations.

The decadal survey calls for a comprehensive approach that integrates diverse ground-based observational assets, such as magnetometers, ionosondes, radars, and optical instruments, to capture the complex dynamics of the geospace environment. This heterogeneous network is essential for providing continuous, global coverage and for validating and complementing data obtained from space-based missions.

INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERAGENCY EFFORTS

Transformational research is often found at the boundaries between disciplines, and collaboration among NASA divisions and across agencies has proven to be highly productive.

The decadal survey recommends that NASA’s Science Mission Directorate develop a cross-divisional approach for planning, operation, and management of future projects and programs to address interdisciplinary science issues in the near and long term.

COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Heliophysics missions require communication links that span distances from a few hundred kilometers above Earth to more than 20 billion kilometers—beyond the heliopause where the Voyager spacecraft are currently located. NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation Program will provide foundational telecommunication support for space science missions in the next decade primarily through its legacy Deep Space Network (DSN) and Near Space Network (NSN) and emerging commercial networks.

However, increasing pressure on NASA’s shared communications infrastructure has the potential to create significant conflict, impacting future heliophysics missions. Many DSN and NSN assets are aging, new heliophysics sensors are generating rapidly increasing data rates, and the lunar exploration program is levying strict requirements for contiguous network coverage for safe crewed operations. The decadal survey recommends a NASA-wide study to proactively identify and implement solutions, ensuring long-term sustainability before challenges escalate.