Challenges in Space Weather and GNSS Data Aggregation and Consolidation for Research

Space weather, geomagnetic and ionospheric effects have been recognised as the most prominent class of GNSS operations and performance disruptions and degradations. A growing number of technology and socio-economic GNSS navigation and non-navigation applications renders satellite navigation a cornerstone technology of modern society and civilisation. Resilient GNSS development requires a detailed understanding of space weather-GNSS positioning performance coupling, established on the experimental evidence. Here the challenges of aggregation and consolidation of openly available space weather and GNSS data sets are addressed, as the essential preparatory phase of every space weather-GNSS positioning performance coupling research. The manuscript and presentation outline the long-term experience in space weather and GNSS data aggregation and consolidation for modelling and forecasting research, including those on access, structures, sampling strategies, and a plethora of data formats utilised. Common practices in establishing aggregated and consolidated database to be utilised for models and forecasts development are presented, with examples in the open source R framework for statistical computing. Manuscript and presentation conclude with a list of recommendation for clarifications, systematic approach, and optimisation of space weather and GNSS data management practices, that will allow for more efficient and accurate utilisation of the already available invaluable data for the space weather- resilient GNSS development.