RMIT University’s practical space weather prediction laboratory

Abstract

Space weather is a key component in the daily operation of many technological systems and applications, including large-scale power grids, high-frequency radio systems, and satellite systems. As the international space sector continues to boom, accessible space weather products, tools and education are increasingly important to ensure that space actors (both old and new) are equipped with the knowledge of how space weather influences their activities and applications. At RMIT University, the initiative was taken to develop a Space Weather Prediction Laboratory exercise for students as part of its new offering of a Bachelor’s Degree in Space Science in 2020. This new Space Weather Prediction Lab exercise is offered as part of an undergraduate course on “Space Exploration”, which has a diverse student in-take, including students with no background in physics; a key detail in the design of the Lab. The aims of the Space Weather Prediction Lab were to: (1) provide a short and intense introduction to the near-Earth space environment and its impact on various human technologies; (2) give students “hands-on” training in data analysis, interpretation and communication; and (3) create an immersive space science experience for students that encourages learning, scientific transparency and teamwork. The format of the lab that was developed can be easily scaled in difficulty to suit the students’ technical level, either by including more/less space weather datasets in the analysis or by analyzing more/less complicated space weather events. The details of the Space Weather Prediction Lab developed and taught at RMIT in 2020, in both face-to-face and online formats, are presented.