In a groundbreaking initiative for national security, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, has unveiled the results of the nation's inaugural end-to-end Space Weather Tabletop Exercise (TTX), which took place in May 2024. The comprehensive After-Action Report, released in March 2025, sheds light on vital insights from the exercise.

Space weather phenomena, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections, pose serious threats to critical infrastructure, the economy, and daily life. This TTX simulated turbulent solar events to evaluate the government’s interagency coordination, response strategies, and communication frameworks across various sectors. This exercise marks a significant leap in our country’s readiness for potential space weather crises.

A Collaborative Effort: Engaging Experts Across Disciplines

Space weather specialists teamed up with emergency management and recovery officials from 25 federal, state, tribal, and local agencies. Together, they navigated a hypothetical scenario that replicated a series of solar events impacting Earth and the space between Earth and the moon. The simulated effects included:

• Intense radiation exposure to satellites and astronauts, jeopardizing commercial aviation. • Radio communication outages, leading to disruptions in essential services. • GPS functionality loss for precision navigation, causing chaos in transportation. • Reduced capacity to communicate with orbiting satellites—putting vital operations at risk. • Local and regional power outages affecting transportation and utilities.

Ian Cohen, deputy chief scientist in APL’s Space Exploration Sector, noted, "This critical exercise raised awareness among senior government officials while pinpointing key research gaps and optimal communication practices related to space weather."

Key Findings and Recommendations: A Blueprint for the Future

The After-Action Report unveiled several crucial recommendations, including enhancing coordination for clearer space weather notifications about infrastructure impacts, adopting a whole-of-government approach, and improving technology forecasting capabilities. Suggestions for placing spacecraft closer to the sun for early storm alerts and launching a national space weather education campaign were prominently featured.

Additionally, the report emphasized the importance of streamlining communication strategies across federal, state, and local channels to improve public awareness of space weather risks.

A Coincidental Challenge: Real-World Events During the Simulation

Interestingly, during this exercise, a significant real-world space weather event—dubbed the "Gannon Storm," the largest geomagnetic disturbance in over two decades—unfolded concurrently. This convergence required several participants to simultaneously address immediate concerns while engaging in the simulated scenario, underlining the importance of preparedness.

The TTX was a joint effort sponsored by agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and FEMA. Utilizing their extensive space weather expertise, APL led the exercise, meticulously developing its content and gathering essential data to enhance national readiness for future space weather challenges.

In conclusion, this pioneering exercise not only tested our current capabilities but also illuminated paths toward stronger resilience against space weather calamities—crucial in our increasingly technology-dependent world.