Using Van Allen Probes to Mitigate Space Weather Impacts in the Radiation Belts

For the past 40 years, NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series has monitored the radiation environment at geosynchronous (GEO) altitude. These observations are used to provide services to a growing satellite industry that utilizes GEO for activities such as monitoring weather, communications, and navigation. One of the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) services, used by the satellite industry, is an alert based on the greater than 2 million electron volt (MeV) electron flux that is known to cause deep dielectric charging in spacecraft and has been associated with satellite anomalies and failures. While GEO observations are crucial for supporting this highly populated region, the heart of the outer radiation belt is found at lower altitudes and there are no operational radiation belt measurements, comparable to GOES, at these lower, medium Earth orbit (MEO) locations. It is also important to note that many satellites operate in MEO, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other navigation satellites, and that the number of satellites in this region of space (including those undergoing electric orbit raising to GEO) is expected to grow. As a result of these considerations, a collaboration between Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, SWPC, and NASA was established to develop an experimental product for greater than 2 MeV electrons in the inner magnetosphere using observations from NASA's Van Allen Probes. The Van Allen Probes are in a near-geosynchronous transfer orbit with an apogee at 5.8 Earth radii. They pass through the near equatorial radiation belts twice in each 9-hour orbit. In this presentation, we will describe the need for an inner magnetosphere radiation belt product, the development of forecaster friendly displays, scientific and operational results, product use, challenges, and a vision for the future, beyond the life of the Van Allen probes.