Gardner applauds space weather forecasting improvement being signed into law

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) recently commended the president for signing into law his bipartisan bill that sets forth provisions related to improving the ability of the United States to forecast space weather events, such as solar flares, and mitigate the effects of severe space weather that could harm the nation’s power grid and communications networks.

“Today I’m proud to see our bipartisan bill signed into law to help bolster our country’s ability to predict and address these events,” Sen. Gardner said on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump on Oct. 21 signed into law the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act, S. 881, which Sen. Gardner and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced in March 2019. 

The bill directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and U.S. Geological Survey to carry out specified space weather activities. For instance, NOAA may establish a pilot program under which it offers to enter into contracts with entities in the commercial space weather sector to provide NOAA with space weather data that meets certain standards, according to the congressional record bill summary.

“Space weather events stand to present significant economic and national security implications, with the potential to disrupt essential services, communications, and technologies we rely on every day,” said Sen. Gardner. “For years I have worked with Senator Peters on bipartisan space weather legislation, understanding the need to prioritize the research and development necessary to reduce the risk of these events and allow our nation to react and recover.”

Gardner and Peters both serve on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which oversees the activities of NASA and NOAA. Gardner serves as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather. 

“The PROSWIFT Act becoming law ensures that the U.S. will remain the world leader in space weather prediction and research by enhancing and fostering cooperation among government, academia and commercial partners,” said Dr. Daniel Baker, director of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. “This will allow us to better predict and mitigate dangerous and inevitable solar events. Given our state’s robust space weather assets, Colorado is well-positioned to play a key role in these critical efforts.”