The Living With a Star (LWS) Program is managed by the Heliophysics Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The goal of the LWS program is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to effectively address those aspects of the connected Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. These
LWS is composed of three major components: Scientific investigations on spaceflight platforms study different regions of the Sun, interplanetary space, and Geospace; an applied science program Space Environment Testbeds where protocols and components are tested; and a Targeted Research and Technology Program. All are described below.
The first two science missions are now in development: Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and [[Radiation Belt Storm Probes]] (RBSP). Science requirements and conceptual mission implementation have been defined for the Ionosphere-Thermosphere Storm Probes (ITSP) and the Solar Sentinels.
With the 2001 inception of the LWS Program, new opportunities were created for a systematic, goal-oriented research program targeting those aspects of the Sun-Earth system that affect life and society. LWS is a crosscutting initiative whose goals and objectives are relevant to NASA's Exploration Initiative, as well as to NASA's Strategic Enterprises.
To provide immediate progress toward achieving the LWS goals, the Targeted Research and Technology (TR&T) component of the program was developed. The TR&T element has solicited five rounds of proposals seeking quantitative understanding and predictive capability throughout the system. TR&T has funded independent research awards, focused science topic panels, and strategic capability challenges to enable a cross-disciplinary, integrated, system-wide understanding of how the Sun varies, and how Earth and planets respond. The focused science topic panels are a novel approach to collaborative science, and initial results appear promising.
