Eric Donovan, Pontus Brandt, David Sibeck, Jim Spann, and Mark Lester

1. The Great Geospace Observatory and Simultaneous Missions of Opportunity Eric Donovan, Pontus Brandt, David Sibeck, Jim Spann, and Mark Lester 2011 ILWS Science Workshop – Beijing China “The overarching objective is to explore how solar variability affects the Earth environment in the short and long term. ILWS will explore physical processes in the sun-Earth system, focusing on those with planetary-scale effects and will quantify the geoefficiency of coupling processes.” Hermann Opgenoorth, 2003.

2. The Great Geospace Observatory and Simultaneous Missions of Opportunity We are coming up on the 10th anniversary of the founding of ILWS: what will be the legacy of ILWS? ILWS should look for things that • would have a significant science and public impact. • would ideally be achieved though true international cooperation. • ILWS is ideally positioned to take the lead on.

3. System-level? ● Geotail Cluster THEMIS ePOP RBSP & ERG MMS GOES LANL Solar Orbiter Stereo SOHO Sentinel Picard Hinode ● Solar Probe

4. Clearly increasing desire to understand Geospace “at the system level” – expressed in decadal surveys, evolution of GEM/CEDAR, etc.

5. Clearly increasing desire to understand Geospace “at the system level” – expressed in decadal surveys, evolution of GEM/CEDAR, etc. We have never imaged a storm.

7. From NASA 2009 Roadmap

8. From NASA 2009 Roadmap

9. From NASA 2009 Roadmap

14. System-level? ● Geotail Cluster THEMIS ePOP RBSP & ERG MMS GOES LANL

15. The oceanographic community has their equivalent to Cluster, THEMIS, etc. Their system level view is achieved via imaging from space, weather monitoring, and programs like ARGO… The philosophy that drives ARGO is measure a few simple things at many locations.

17. GGO: global, simultaneous, long-term, 24/7, multi-scale. Ionosphere-Thermosphere precipitation, outflow convection, wind currents Magnetosphere magnetic field pressure reconnection waves Magnetosheath, Cusp reconnection, plasma transport GGO: combined GB, in situ, space-based imaging.

18. GGO: Strawman Baseline Space Imaging Elements. Soft X-Rays UV Aurora and ENA By itself, the view from GGO Space Imaging would rival that of the Sun provided by the fleet of solar imaging satellites, giving us a vision of planet Earth that would move geospace science to new heights and excite the public about our field.

19. How could we accomplish GGO space imaging?…. • monolithic multi-sat mission… $800M or more: difficult. • it does not matter where the satellite is, but rather what it can see. • UV aurora, soft X-rays, ENA best viewed from different locations. • each component could be accomplished for ~$50M as missions of opportunity. • could several agencies get together and sponsor simultaneous missions of opportunity to accomplish GGO? • requires an interagency sponsor: ILWS? • spread $150-$200M cost among 3-4 national agencies. • interestingly, this cheaper approach might yield a better outcome.

20. The Great Geospace Observatory (GGO) would…. • be fundamentally new – revitalize geospace studies • allow us to address a wide range of new problems • provide a view comparable to our view of the Sun • address geospace at the system level • deliver what was envisioned for Ravens, KuaFu B, Ravens Europe, Arctica, and other large proposed imaging missions. • address e.g., NASA’s ONEP, DGC, CISR • allow us to quantify system level effects of the processes we study with missions like THEMIS, MMS, RBSP, ERG, etc. To do GGO… we need a new approach…. • decide to do this (an international sponsor organization) • use multiple simultaneous missions of opportunity