Ooty: Weather forecasts and studies based on satellite data needs international co-operation and no single country can keep track of things continuously, according to senior NASA scientist, “No one country can afford the very expensive satellites and instruments the solar system and you never know where latest theoretical breakthroughs will occur,” NASA Gaddard Space Flight Centre space weather lab incharge Dr Judith T Kerpen told scientists at Radio Astronomy Centre (RAC) here.

She praised the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding between Indian and US space agencies for collaboration and exchange of important information and jointly building space missions.

She said her visit was to learn more about space weather resources in India and ready an important computer code which will make the Indian solar dynamo model available for anyone on the Net.

Conditions in space affect the Earth, other planets, humans and our technological systems and are impacted by the use of GPS, cellphones, radio transmissions, airplanes, or electricity, she said.

Space Weather starts at the Sun and travels through thin gases between the planets. The study has a lot to do with physics: interacting magnetic fields and particles, waves and electromagnetic radiation. “To understand the causes and consequences fully, we need more observations, theory and modeling and this is where India is playing a critical role,” she said.

India has a long and impressive history of accomplishments in research, with strong government support and there are many places where fundamental research in space weather is going on observing the Sun and the Earth’s ionosphere, she said and was all praise for the ISRO space missions. But much more was needed, she added.

On RAC, she said it was a unique world-leading facility that explores the regions between the Sun and the Earth on a daily basis through long-wavelength radio waves. It hosts many students throughout the year, showing a strong commitment to helping young people to get the best possible.

She asked the scientists to continue `the great progress made here’ and at other institutions in science and technology and told them to remain curious.