“ATTENTION: the primary GOES satellite indicates 100 Mega electron volt protons have exceeded 1 particle flux unit, I repeat, 100 Mega electron volt protons have exceeded 1 particle flux unit. “ The voice, an audible alarm, heard through speakers around the room, signaled a space weather storm with implications for humans traveling in space. 

The voice was part of a Space Weather Prediction Testbed Exercise organized by CIRES and NOAA researchers in NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). The center’s first-ever Testbed exercise aimed to support human space exploration and the 2026 Artemis-II Mission. Over 70 participants — including forecasters, researchers, and industry experts — traveled from all corners of the country for the two-and-a-half-day event in Boulder, Colorado.

“The Testbed Exercise is about building relationships between the different operational centers that are going to support human spaceflight,” said Adam Kubaryk, CIRES employee and NOAA SWPC’s Testbed Technical Lead, who created the exercise simulation. “I think that was pretty special to see these relationships grow in real time.” 

The in-person simulation brought together SWPC forecasters and representatives from NASA’s Space Radiation Analysis Group (SRAG), Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office (M2M), and the Department of Defense. The exercise simulated various space weather event scenarios, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Participants monitored these events to determine the risk to astronauts in space. Then, NASA representatives decided whether action needed to be taken to protect them from harmful radiation. 

The goals of the exercise were to build relationships between SWPC and those who use its data, test the various models SWPC uses to predict space weather, and allow users to provide real-time feedback to SWPC model developers. 

The Testbed exercise experimented with a new solar prediction model and GOES satellite products. Groups provided feedback on products in real time, and modelers and researchers adjusted them on the spot. 

“The whole facility is really for trying things out,” said Kim Moreland, a CIRES scientist and radiation expert in NOAA’s SWPC who worked with the model developers for the simulation. “How does this work? How do people use these products? How do people use SWPC data? How does SWPC work in all these other environments?”

CIRES employees in SWPC and NCEI were instrumental in planning during the months leading up to the exercise. The Testbed facilitated two exercises for different groups over two weeks. Participants came from federal agencies, research institutions, and industry partners like Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin, and SpaceX. Kubaryk developed the replay system, a tool for simulating past space weather events, creating an environment where participants could respond and communicate in real-time. 

“You can imagine if you're training pilots or astronauts, you put them in a flight simulator, and give them a realistic scenario, and then they have to react to that scenario,” said Hazel Bain, the CIRES lead at SWPC. 

Each group, containing a SWPC forecaster, a NASA SRAG console operator, and an M2M analyst, as well as researchers and/or industry partners, worked together to respond as the storm progressed. 

While the SWPC forecaster communicated the details of the storm and rising radiation levels, the SRAG operator discussed options with the flight team, advising on whether astronauts should build a radiation shelter for protection. 

“The idea was to replay the storms and have the new models and forecasting tools we are trialing provide the forecasts and situational awareness so that participants can see how they look and feel on a minute-by-minute basis,” Bain said.

Rob Steenburgh, the NOAA SWPC Science and Operations Officer, said the Testbed exercise was one of the most influential and practical activities he’s experienced in his 42-year career. As a trainer, he’s excited to use the Testbed to allow his trainees to “fail without consequence.”  Past training came primarily from simple PowerPoint presentations and hands-on experience, which weren't as dynamic or effective, particularly during solar minimum.

“This allows the forecasters to fail over and over and get it right and learn before doing it in real time,” Steenburgh said. “Now, I can feed them the information as they get it in the forecast office, in a dynamic, evolving situation, and have them respond like they would, using the tools they would use — and that's what's so different about this.”

While the exercise was critical in preparing for the upcoming 2026 Artemis-II Mission, it also set the foundation for all future Testbed exercises. But, the biggest takeaway for most was the human connections, working side by side in a way forecasters have never experienced. 

“I don't think there's any kind of replacement for in-person contact when it comes to that relationship-building phase,” Kubaryk said. “The next time you talk on the phone with that person, just having that experience beforehand, I think it’s immensely invaluable in terms of understanding a little bit more how that person operates and what they're expecting out of you.”