The Trump administration's proposal to eliminate a leading atmospheric science center will also have implications for space science.
Key aspects of influence:
Space weather research: NCAR is one of the world's leading centers, that study the connection between the Sun and the Earth (heliophysics). The center's researchers are working on forecasting powerful solar storms, which may pose a threat to modern technologies, including GPS signals, satellite communication and electrical networks.
Specialized observatories and instruments: NCAR operates the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) in Hawaii, which uses specialized coronagraphs to observe the Sun. This unique data is critical to understanding the Sun's magnetic fields and predicting solar activity.
Space missions: NCAR scientists participate in major international space missions, such as the NASA GOLD mission (Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk) to study the interaction between outer space and the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere.
Modeling and supercomputers: NCAR develops and uses sophisticated computer models (example, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model, WACCM) and supercomputers for modeling processes in the atmosphere and heliosphere. These resources are critical to the entire scientific community, which deals with space science.
Training of scientific personnel: The center also plays an important role in training a new generation of scientists in the field of Earth and space sciences.
Eliminating NCAR would result in the loss of these unique capabilities, tools and expertise, which would seriously undermine the position of the US and the world in space weather research and fundamental solar physics.
Source: https://spacenews.com