The International Space environment Service (ISES)
Annual Report for 2002
1. Introduction
The International Space Environment Service is a permanent service of the Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services (FAGS) under the auspices of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) in association with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). The ISES was called IUWDS (International URSIgram and World Days Service) until 1996. The IUWDS was formed in 1962 as a combination of the former International World Days Service, initiated in 1959 as a part of the IGY, and the former URSI Central Committee of URSIgrams which initiated rapid international data interchange services in 1928.
The mission of the ISES is to facilitate near-real-time international monitoring and prediction of the space environment by: the rapid exchange of space environment information; the standardization of the methodology for space environment observations and data reduction; the uniform publication of observations and statistics; and the application of standardized space environment products and services to assist users reduce the impact of space weather on activities of human interest.
Three main functions accomplish the task of the ISES. Firstly, the International URSIgram Service provides standardized rapid free exchange of space weather information and forecasts. Secondly, the ISES prepares the International Geophysical Calendar each year. This calendar gives a list of 'World Days' during which scientists are encouraged to carry out their experiments. And thirdly, on behalf of COSPAR, the monthly Spacewarn Bulletins summarize the status of satellites in earth orbit and in interplanetary space.
The ISES also sponsors meetings to improve space weather services and to promote the understanding of space weather and its effects for users, researchers, the media, and the general public. Solar-Terrestrial Prediction Workshops were held thus far, in Boulder (1979), Meudon near Paris (1984), Leura near Sydney (1989), Ottawa (1992), and Hitachi near Tokyo (1996). In recent years ISES has had its business meeting in conjunction with the Space Weather Week meetings organized by NOAA Space Environment Center. Through such meetings, ISES members play an active role in the transition of scientific results into operational space weather services.
2. The International Ursigram Service in 2002
The International Ursigram Service in 2002 operates through eleven Regional Warning Centers (RWC) and one Associate Regional Warning Center (ARWC). The 11 RWCs are located in: Beijing (China), Boulder (USA), Brussels (Belgium), Lund (Sweden), Moscow (Russia), New Delhi (India), Ottawa (Canada), Prague (Czech Republic), Sydney (Australia), Tokyo (Japan) and Warsaw (Poland); the ARWC in Toulouse (France). The RWC in Boulder plays a special role as 'World Warning Agency (WWA)', acting as a hub for data exchange and forecasts.
Each RWC collects data available in its own geographic area, concerning the state of the sun-earth environment, both from its own observatories and from regional scientific institutes and universities. These data and reports are distributed daily, on request to users and to other RWCs. Information transmitted through the ISES network is analyzed by Regional Warning Centers which produce a number of "summary" reports and forecasts. The "Geoalert", a forecast of solar-geophysical conditions for the next few days, is a particularly important one of these reports. Geoalerts prepared by RWCs are sent to the WWA in Boulder each day. The WWA then issues a Geoalert which is distributed worldwide each day at 0300 UT through the ISES network.
3. Publications
The International Geophysical Calendar (IGC) is prepared and distributed by the Secretary for World Days. The IGC can be accessed on the ISES Home Page and is also printed annually in many international journals. 1800 copies of IGC 2003 were printed and distributed in December, 2002.
The World Warning Agency for Satellites issues the Spacewarn Bulletin every month on behalf of COSPAR. The Spacewarn Bulletin provides a listing of launches and brief details of each launch. The WWA for Satellites is operated by the World Data Center-A for Rockets and Satellites, NASA/GSFC.
The ISES Website contains information about ISES and its Warning Centers, copies of the ISES code book, and links to the home pages of ISES centers. The URLs for ISES activities are given below.
ISES Home Page http://www.ises-spaceweather.org/
International Geophysical Calendar http://www.ises-spaceweather.org/geo_calender/
Spacewarn Bulletins http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacewarn
4. The ISES Directing Board
In 2002 Dr K. Marubashi retired as Director of ISES. Elections were held by e-mail ballot for the position of director, and subsequently for the position of deputy director. The new office holders are:
ISES Director
Dr David Boteler
Natural Resources Canada
Geomagnetic Laboratory
7 Observatory Crescent
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y3
Canada
Tel: 1-613-837-2035
Fax: 1-613-824-9803
e-mail: dboteler@.nrcan.gc.ca
ISES Deputy Director
Dr. Henrik Lundstedt
Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Lund Space Weather Center
Scheelev. 17,
SE-223 70 Lund,
Sweden
Tel: +46-46-2862120
Fax: +46-46-129879
e.mail: henrik@lund.irf.se
The 2002 Directing Board meeting was held in Boulder, Colorado, on April 14. Reports were received from the Regional Warning Centers and a re-examination was started of the data utilized and exchanged by RWCs. Other topics discussed included verification of forecasts, ESA participation in ISES, and ISO standards for space environment models. New working groups were set up concerned with satellite effects (chair: A. Hilgers), geomagnetic effects (chair: L. Trichtchenko), and radio effects (R. Dabas) and ISO Standards (chair: R. Thompson).
The next Directing Board meeting is planned to be held in Boulder on May 18, 2003.
5. ISES Directing Board Membership
The present list of ISES officers and representatives is as follows:-
ISES Director: D. H. Boteler dboteler@NRCan.gc.ca
ISES Deputy Director: H. Lundstedt henrik@lund.irf.se
ISES Secretary for Space Weather: J. Kunches Joseph.Kunches@noaa.gov
ISES Secretary for World Days: H. Coffey Helen.E.Coffey@noaa.gov
RWC Australia (Sydney) delegate: R. Thompson richard@ips.gov.au
RWC Belgium (Brussels) delegate: P. Cugnon pierre.cugnon@oma.be
RWC Canada (Ottawa) delegate: H.-L. Lam HLam@NRCan.gc.ca
RWC China (Beijing) delegate: H. Wang hnwang@bao.ac.cn
RWC Czech Rep. (Prague) delegate: D. Buresova buresd@ufa.cas.cz
RWC India (New Delhi) delegate: R.S. Dabas rsdabas@csnpl.ren.nic.in
RWC Japan (Tokyo) delegate: T. Nagatsuma tnagatsu@crl.go.jp
RWC Poland (Warsaw) delegate: Z. Klos marz@cbk.waw.pl
RWC Russia (Moscow) delegate: V.A. Burov hciag@sunny.aha.ru
RWC Sweden (Lund) delegate: H. Lundstedt henrik@lund.irf.se
WWA USA (Boulder) delegate: J. Kunches Joseph.Kunches@noaa.gov
FAGS Representative: E.A. Tandberg-Hanssen tandberger@cspar.uah.edu
IAU Representative: H. Coffey Helen.E.Coffey@noaa.gov
IUGG Representative: H. Coffey Helen.E.Coffey@noaa.gov
URSI Representatives: P. Wilkinson phil@ips.gov.au
R. Pirjola Risto.Pirjola@fmi.fi
S. Pulinets pulse@igeofcu.unam.mx
6. ISES Regional Warning Centres
RWC Australia
IPS Radio and Space Services
PO Box 1386
Haymarket NSW 1240
Australia
http://www.ips.gov.au/
RWC Canada
Natural Resources Canada
Geomagnetic Laboratory
7 Observatory Crescent
Ottawa Ontario K1AOY3
Canada
http://spaceweather.ca/
RWC Czech Republic,
Institute of Atmospheric Physics
Academy of Sciences,
Bocni II, 141 31 Prague 4,
Czech Republic
http://rwcprague.ufa.cas.cz/
RWC Japan,
Communications Research Laboratory,
4-2-1 Nukui-Kitamachi, Koganei,
Tokyo 184-8795
Japan
http://hirweb.crl.go.jp/
RWC Russia,
Institute of Applied Geophysics, Rostokinskaya str., 9,
129128 Moscow,
Russia
http://www.geospace.ru
World Warning Agency,
NOAA Space Environment Center,
325 Broadway, Boulder, CO,
USA
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/
RWC Belgium
Solar Influences Data Analysis Center (SIDC)
Royal Observatory of Belgium,
Ringlaan - 3 - Avenue Circulaire,
B-1180 Brussel,
Belgium
http://sidc.oma.be/
RWC China,
National Astronomical Observatories,
Chinese Academy of Science,
20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District,
Bejing,
China
http://rwcc.bao.ac.cn/
RWC India,
National Physical Laboratory,
New Delhi -110012,
India
http://www.nplindia.org/npl/index.htm
RWC Poland,
Space Research Centre,
Polish Academy of Sciences,
Bartycka 18A, 00-716 Warsaw,
Poland
http://www.cbk.waw.pl/rwc/rwc.html
RWC Sweden,
Swedish Institute of Space Physics,
Scheelev. 17,
SE-223 70 Lund,
Sweden
http://www.lund.irf.se/rwc
ARWC France,
CLS, 8-10 rue Hermes,
31526 Ramonville Saint-Agne,
France
http://www.cls.fr/previsol.
