NASA Goddard's
Heliophysics Science Division
America's First Line of Defense Against Space Weather Threats
The U.S. relies on NASA's Heliophysics Science Division (HSD) for the science and technology that powers America's space weather defenses. NOAA, the military, and private industry build their solutions on decades of HSD expertise and ongoing innovation. By integrating solar, heliospheric, geospace, and atmospheric research and technology in one location, we provide efficient, coordinated solutions to protect U.S. infrastructure, national security, and space missions from solar storms and geomagnetic disruptions.
What NASA Goddard's HSD does for America
- Protects U.S. Military & Homeland Security Helps understand failures of GPS-guided systems, surveillance, and critical communications systems to mitigate dangerous disruptions.
- Ensures Power Grid & Infrastructure Resilience Without NASA's research, a major solar storm could cause a nationwide blackout lasting from days to possibly months.
- Supports U.S. Space & Technology Leadership SpaceX, Blue Origin, and the growing commercial space industry depend on NASA's heliophysics research to shield satellites and deep-space missions.
- Keeps America First in Space China, Russia, and the EU are ramping up space weather research. The U.S. cannot afford to fall behind.
- Delivers Real-Time Space Weather Monitoring NASA Goddard's observations and models feed NOAA, DoD, and the private sector with critical space weather information.
What happens if this work stops? The U.S. loses the foundation of critical space weather research and forecasting, putting the economy, defense, and future space missions at risk.
Heliophysics Data is essential for all aspects of space weather research and forecasting, approximately 65% of which is provided due to NASA's HSD data and model infrastructure.
The Power of 5 Heliophysics Labs Working Together
Efficiency = Critical foundational work that coordinates with agencies, private sector & academia
Innovation = Developing & combining cutting-edge models and technology to predict solar storms
Synergy = Centralized teams & partners collaborating seamlessly across multiple research areas
NASA Goddard's HSD is the critical part of America's line of defense.
Space Weather Intelligence to Protect Against Threats
Even moderate storms cost billions—extreme events could set civilization back decades.
NASA Goddard's Heliophysics Science Division conducts space weather intelligence to provide real-time early warnings and safeguard national security.
🚀 NASA is the foundation: The military, government agencies, and private space industry— SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others—rely on 60+ years of NASA research to operate safely in space.
✅ NASA Heliophysics provides the fundamental research and development needed to enhance space weather prediction capabilities. Without NASA Heliophysics:
- We Lose Critical Space Weather Forecasting NOAA and the military rely on NASA's data to predict and prepare for solar storms.
- Private Industry Suffers SpaceX and other companies can't develop reliable space systems without NASA's long-term research.
- America Falls Behind China in particular is investing heavily in space weather research. The U.S. must lead or risk losing competitive advantage in the field.