50°47′48″N4°21′25″E / 50.796785°N 4.356998°E /50.796785; 4.356998TheRoyal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB) (Dutch:Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Ruimte-Aeronomie - BIRA,French:Institut royal d'aéronomie spatiale de Belgique - IASB) is a Belgian federal scientific research institute. Created in 1964, its main tasks are research and public service in space aeronomy, which is the physics and chemistry of theatmosphere of the Earth and other planets, and ofouter space. The scientists rely on ground-based, balloon-, air- or space-borne instruments and computer models.

On 25 November 1964 the Aeronomical Service is separated from the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) and lives on as a scientific institution of the state with the name: Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB). In 2014, BIRA-IASB celebrates its 50th anniversary and gains its royal statute. On this occasion, the Institute gathered50 important events in its history.

The institute has as main competence, tasks of public service and research in the domain of Space Aeronomy. BIRA-IASB mostly works with data acquired via rockets and artificial satellites for research to the physical and chemical structure of the higheratmosphere and extraterrestrialspace. The first director was M. Nicolet. As of 2021^[update] the director general ad interim isMartine De Mazière.^[1]

BIRA-IASB

• focuses on Chemistry & Physics ofAtmospheres and Space Plasma Physics
• designs and builds instruments to monitor atmospheres and thespace environment
• operates Belgian experiments on board theInternational Space Station and othersatellites
• participates in international measurement programmes
• compares observations with numerical simulations to validate and improve our knowledge
• turns scientific know-how into services to the benefit of society
• disseminates this knowledge through publications, web services and public outreach.

BIRA-IASB studies the Earth'sstratosphere by looking atozone depletion and related key parameters like volcanicaerosols,polar stratospheric clouds andhalogenated compounds. Long-term changes are evaluated and forecasting capabilities have been developed. The research supports theMontreal Protocol on the protection of theozone layer.

BIRA-IASB also studies Earthtropospheric chemistry, with a focus on natural and manmade emissions, likeSO₂ andNO₂,tropospheric ozone precursors, the relationship toair quality and the evolution ofgreenhouse gases in support of theKyoto Protocol. Forecasting of chemical weather is being developed.

BIRA-IASB examines thesolar radiation and its penetration to the surfaces of theEarth. It monitors the long-term changes of theUV radiation. BIRA-IASB also contributes to research onplanetary atmospheres, in particularMars andVenus.

TheSun fillsinterplanetary space withplasma, a gas of charged particles, in the form of a constantsolar wind. Also the Earth's outer atmosphere, themagnetosphere, is filled with plasma, just like the environments of many otherSolar System objects. The Institute has built a strong theory and modeling programme, deeply rooted in observations provided byESA's space missions,Ulysses,Cluster andRosetta spacecraft.

BIRA-IASB has extensive expertise in:

• The dynamic behavior of the outer magnetospheric boundary in response to the variable solar wind, which controls the energy input from the solar wind into the magnetosphere.
• The interaction between the outer magnetosphere and the corotating plasma in the inner magnetosphere.
• The coupling between the magnetosphere and theionosphere as manifested by theaurora or polar lights

These modeling efforts help to mitigate the empiricism still prevailing in present-dayspace weather forecasting.

BIRA-IASB provides products and services that fulfill needs of the user community.

• SolarUV index for the public
• Assessments of the state of the atmosphere to support policy makers
• Accumulated ionising radiation dose predictions for the space industry

Services related to the Earth's atmosphere include stratospheric ozone forecasting, air quality global analysis and prediction, volcanic emission warnings, satellite data validation and tropospheric emission monitoring. These services will be integrated in international initiatives like the European ledGMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).

In the domain ofSpace Weather BIRA-IASB focuses on ionising space radiation and its effects. These services are exploited in the context of the Belgian Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence. Tools, methods and procedures are set up to deliver these services to the user community (European Space Weather portal).

BIRA-IASB, through the Belgian User Support and Operation Centre (BUSOC), provides support and infrastructure to scientific teams to prepare, develop and operate space experiments. BUSOC is the operations center for the Solar Monitoring Observatory on board theInternational Space Station and the scientific mission center for theCNES solar observation satellite PICARD.

• Belgian Federal Science Policy Office
• European Space Technology Platform
• List of government space agencies
• Netherlands Institute for Space Research
• Planetarium
• Royal Meteorological Institute

• What is BIRA-IASB?
• 50 important events in the 50 years of BIRA-IASB history

• Official website

• Scientific organisations based in Belgium
• Science and technology in Belgium
• Space weather

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