Motivation

SRAGSpace Radiation Analysis Group console operators monitor the space radiation environment during any crewed mission and provide the FCTFlight Control Team with recommendations during SPEsSolar Particle Events that may pose a risk to crew health or mission success. During LEOLow Earth Orbit missions such as the ISSInternational Space Station, crew has had the protective shielding of Earth's magnetic field. However during the upcoming exo-LEOLow Earth Orbit missions such as Artemis, crew will no longer have this protective shielding. During an SPESolar Particle Event, the FCTFlight Control Team typically asks three main questions:

  1. Will an event occur?
  2. How intense will the event be?
  3. How long will the event last?

To answer these questions, SRAGSpace Radiation Analysis Group console operators use their expertise in addition to any other tools available. Such tools include space weather forecasting models that predict the following:

  1. Event occurrence
  2. Peak proton flux
  3. Proton flux time series

For these reasons, SRAGSpace Radiation Analysis Group has a need for mature space weather forecasting models that are near-ready for use in an operational setting. This is the motivation behind creating the ISEPIntegrated Solar Energetic Proton Alert/Warning System project.