Description
This work presents the outcome of the CAESAR (Comprehensive spAce wEather Studies for the ASPIS prototype Realization) project, which was supported by ASI and INAF from 21 December 2021 to 24 May 2024 (ASI-INAF n.2020-35-HH.0 agreement). CAESAR was devoted to study the relevant aspects of Space Weather (SWE) science and realize the prototype of the scientific data centre for Space Weather of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) called ASPIS (ASI SPace Weather InfraStructure). To this end, CAESAR gathered a great part of the SWE Italian community, bringing together 10 Italian institutions as partners, and a total of 98 researchers.
CAESAR adopted an unprecedented, multidisciplinary, and integrated approach, encompassing the whole chain of phenomena from the Sun to the Earth up to planetary environments.
The goals, organization, and final results are discussed.
A case study of a well-observed “target SWE event”, exhibiting extreme characteristics with respect with the solar source, is presented in order to showcase the CAESAR approach. The causes and evolution of the event are explored and the effects on technological systems are evaluated.
The main features of the implemented ASPIS prototype are shown. It is intended to unify multiple SWE resources through a flexible and adaptable architecture and to integrate currently available international SWE assets to foster scientific studies and advance forecasting capabilities.
