Space Scientists to EuroFora: Upper Atmosphere research = a key for Earth's extreme Weather events ?

*Strasbourg/International Space University(ISU)/Angelo Marcopolo/- While a growing number and intensity of Extreme Weather Events, such as Giant Heatwaves, Storms and Icy Winds, Floods and Mudslides, etc., has been recently anounced by the World Meteorological Organization, attributed by some to Global Warming in long-term Climate Changes, Space Scientists, gathered this week in Strasbourg for the Annual Conference of the International Space University (ISU) which attracts a wide spectrum of Top-Level pluri-disciplinary Experts, Managers and/or Decision makers on various issues related to Space High-Tech, Politics, Law and Economy from all over the World, told "EuroFora" that "Space Weather", including Solar activities which are expected to reach a Peak on 2013, may affect also Earth's own Weather and Climate, bringing in a New parameter, whose exploration is just starting to be developed in public debates.  

Japan Scientist Yukihito Takahashi, from the Department of Cosmo-Sciences in Hokkaifo University, while presenting a series of new applications of Micro-Sattelites to Space Weather, stressed the potential importance of "Space Environment" also for the study of "Terrestrial Climate", with which, Upper Atmosphere and Ionosphere phenomena such as f.ex. Sprites, Lightings, and even Solar winds  etc. may be "not disconnected" with Clouds covering the Earth, but work as a kind of Bi-Directional, "Global Electric Circuit" linking the Earth to Space, as he observed.

During a subsequent debate, NASA lead Scientist Mrs Madhulika Guhathakunta, of the Program "Living with a Star", in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA's Headquarters, as well as Space Foundation's CEO Elliot Pulham, and other participants, asked whether and how it might be possible to raise the awareness of Politicians and of the Public at large on Outer Space issues' importance.

Careful, experienced Science and Technology deputy-Manager in NASA's famous Marshall Space Flight Center, Dr. Raymond Clinton, initially expressed the view that such an endavour could be rather difficult a priori, since Outer Space, in principle, doesn't seem to affect very much People's everyday lives, at least not directly.

But, "EuroFora" raised the Question whether the above-mentioned possibility of links between Space Weather and Earth's Climate (See supra), added also to various other convergent observations, including, f.ex., former USSR's scientists' reported hypothesis that even Earthquakes might be often preceded by some strange phenomena at the Ionosphere, etc., and given the currently growing frequency and intensity of dangerous, destructive and/or deadly  Extreme Weather Phenomena, it could be interesting, or even necessary, to better study, as a matter of urgency, that hypothesis of Space-Earth connections in terms of Weather.

Experienced former ISU leading Scientist,  professor Michael Rycroft, now head of Ceasar Consultancy in Cambridge (UK), replied to "EuroFora" by pointing particularly at a recent Publication he made with British Professor Harrison of the Reading University, at the "Space Science Reviews", edited by prestigious publisher Springer at the end of 2011, in which they studied particularly some strange interactions between Lightings, Sprites or other such Electric Discharges at the Ionosphere, and Clouds with Disturbed Weather, ThunderStorms, Rainfalls, etc. at Earth's surface.

Reading University's current research on Space and Terrestrial Environment was praised later today, as one among the most important examples of EU's 7th Science and Technology Research Program's wish to fund Space activities related to Natural Environment, by  experienced former UNO Committee for Peaceful use of Space (OPUOS)'s  Chairman, current International Austronautical Federation's vice-President, and Chair of IAF's Committee of Liaison with International Organisations, Dr. Gerard Brachet, speaking to "EuroFora", who, however, regretted the current threats against EU's Global Monitoring on Environment and Securiy (GMES : See "EuroFora"'s 2 relevant recent NewsReports from EU Parliament).

Japan's Dr. Yukihito Takahashi also replied positively to "EuroFora"'s question, that, indeed, while in the Past, Outer Space's Environment and Earth Weather were generally considered as completely unrelated matters, on the contrary, during the latest 10 or 15 years, "Space Weather" issues enter more and more frequently in serious Meteorological Forecast analysis, so that, in the future they might be examined together, inside  a Global Space-Earth Weather forecast.

But, meanwhile,  ISU's new President, experienced Professor Walter Peeters, observed later to "EuroFora" that "Solar wind", (i.e. electromagnetic waves of particles provoked by Sun's erruptions), generally expected to reach a Peak each Decade, will do so next year, during 2013, and it will be the 1st time that People will see how Space Weather might affect Earth not only on Climate, but even on Telecoms, Internet, Satellites' related and other infrastructures or activities of Vital importance for everyday life, which have been developed and widely spread during the last 10 or 15 years :  - "F.ex. even Traffick Lights may be influenced, because they depend from Satellite Navigation Systems such as GPS, GALILEO, Glonass, etc.,  in order to determine Spatio-Temporal parameters, he pointed out. One thing is sure : The disruptions already observed back on 1959 in Telecoms, etc., during a previous Giant Solar eruption, should probebly be know much more important, after the spread of Satellite-based and other Electro-Magnetic waves' monitored equipments and/or tools of large utilisation, Peeters said.

+ Moreover, Science and Technology deputy-Manager in NASA's famous Marshall Space Flight Center, Dr. Raymond Clinton, speaking later to "EuroFora", observed that a good knowledge of Space Weathe would be very helpful also for the forseen development of new, modern and efficient Space launchers and vehicles.
In practice, this is related even with the "very wide scope" of Scientific Research and Technological Development led at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, which extends from "New Materials" up to "Propulsion innovations", etc., including even BioPhysics, etc., where a better knowledge of the Outer Space's Environment is necessary, he observed.

The point becomes of crucial importance when one considers also the fact that the Historic Marshall Space Flight Center (there where the famous "Appolo" Rocket to the Moon had been built back in the Sixties), currently conducts research for the SLS new Launcher Rocket, as well as for "Orion", and other Vehicles and Propulsion systems, which are due to play a crucial role in Human a.o. Flight for Space Exploration in the foreseeable Future, after US President Obama reportedly "modified", et least partly, his earlier controversial decision to limit NASA's Budget for Human Space Flight, which had provoked strong reactions from several key parts of the American Space Community, including even from World-famous, Historic Austronaut Glenn. And Glenn, recently, re-started to criticize now the fact that, for the Time being, after decommissioning the latest Shuttle, the USA now "depends on Russia's Soyuz", until it finds another solution, by developing new populsion systems...

Meanwhile, manifold topical issues concerning Space and Earth's Weather environments might be considered as one among the possible issues to start preparing soon for ISU's next International Symposium on 2013, as agreed with "EuroFora" the experienced Head of the organizing team, Dr? Farrow, (whose PhD thesis on Physics already dealt with the almost premonitory matter of "Laser transmission through the Atmosphere", as it was reminded also on the occasion of an interesting forthcoming European Conference at Bruges, (Belgium), on "Atmospheric Science and Technology advances", scheduled for June 2012.