Space Weather Observations at Mars and Implications for All Clear Predictions

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Rover Curiosity has been effectively serving as a space weather monitor on the surface of Mars since Curiosity landed on the red planet in 2012. RAD has measured the impact of more than a dozen solar storms, with the frequency of events increasing as the Sun approaches solar maximum. Two recent relatively large events (Sept. 10, 2017 and Oct. 28, 2021) were observed as Ground Level Events (GLEs) at both Earth and Mars, separated by 180 degrees in longitude! We will discuss these events and their implications for space weather “All Clear” predictions, as well as the need for heliosphere-wide space weather monitoring to support future human exploration to Mars and beyond.