Authors: 

S Dave Bouwer, W. Kent Tobiska

Abstract:

Over the past decade, there have been dramatic developments in the acquisition of space weather data from spacecraft and ground stations, coupling that data with new advanced real-time space weather models, and distributing value-added data products to the scientific community and the public. One of the most successful recent developments has been the implementation of smart-phone “Apps” to present real-time space weather images and figures. In 2009, the Space Weather Center at Utah State University and Space Environment Technologies released the first “SpaceWx” iPhone App, which was soon followed by a number of other similar Apps from other developers, presenting customer-driven space weather products. Real-time space weather data dissemination has begun to quickly evolve from a web-based presentation layer of enormous volumes of historical and real-time data, to an internet appliance layer presenting targeted, abbreviated, value-added real-time space weather “datagrams”. Because the App is useful anywhere there is WiFi or cell-phone coverage, it can be useful for field operations. Potential users include HF radio operators, emergency responders, aviation crews concerned about radiation at high latitudes, GPS users needing even higher accuracies, and many more. The current state-of-the-art, evolving trends, and the growing challenges to software development and operational environments will be discussed.