Agora – Strategic or programmatic article

Current state and perspectives of Space Weather science in Italy

¹ ASI – Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Rome, Italy
² Aeronautica Militare Italiana, Stato Maggiore Aeronautica – 3° Reparto, Viale dell’Università n.4, 00185 Rome, Italy
³ INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, via Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese, Torino, Italy
⁴ Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
⁵ Università di Perugia, Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Via Pascoli s.n.c., 06124 Perugia, Italy
⁶ Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Rome, Italy
⁷ Università di Trento, Dipartimento di Fisica, via Sommarive 14, 38123 Trento, Italy
⁸ INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
⁹ INAF- Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Loc. Basovizza n. 302, 34149 Trieste, Italy
¹⁰ INFN-TIFPA, via Sommarive 14, 38123 Trento, Italy

^* Corresponding author: christina.plainaki@asi.it

Received: 25 March 2019
Accepted: 27 December 2019

Abstract

Italian teams have been involved many times in Space Weather observational campaigns from space and from the ground, contributing in the advancing of our knowledge on the properties and evolution of the related phenomena. Numerous Space Weather forecasting and now-casting modeling efforts have resulted in a remarkable add-on to the overall progress in the field, at both national and international level. The Italian Space Agency has participated several times in space missions with science objectives related to Space Weather; indeed, an important field for the Italian scientific and industrial communities interested in Heliophysics and Space Weather, is the development of new instrumentation for future space missions. In this paper, we present a brief state-of-the-art in Space Weather science in Italy and we discuss some ideas on a long-term plan for the support of future scientific research in the related disciplines. In the context of the current roadmap, the Italian Space Agency aims to assess the possibility to develop a national scientific Space Weather data centre to encourage synergies between different science teams with interest in the field and to motivate innovation and new mission concept development. Alongside with the proposed recommendations, we also discuss how the Italian expertise could complement international efforts in a wider international Space Weather context.