Space Weather Study Using Multipoint Techniques

Magnetic storms may cause damage to satellites, radiation hazard to astronauts, disruption of radio communications, and interruption of ground electric power lines. Space weather prediction becomes an important issue to be addressed in the twenty-first century. International Solar Terrestrial Program (ISTP) employs five satellites to probe the solar wind and magnetosphere, providing valuable information for space weather prediction. The Asia-Pacific region is becoming one of the economic centers in the world. The continuous drive for scientific and technological progress in parallel is evidenced by the establishment of many space research organizations in many countries of this area. In Taiwan, the National Space Program Office (NSPO) established her third satellite program - COSMIC (Constellation Obsering Systems for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate), which is a science experiment to demonstrate the utility of atmospheric radio limb soundings from a constellation of six low-earth orbiting satellites in operational weather prediction, space weather monitoring, and climate monitoring and research. In order to provide a forum to discuss the many new results in this rapid-moving field and to forge international collaborations, a three-day COSPAR Colloquium on “Space Weather Study Using Multipoint Techniques” was held. This colloquium have provided a forum for experts from the international community to present new results on the timely topic “space weather”.