Moving Forward in Space Plasma Physics

Space physics is more than fifty years old and is going through middle age. Looking back and thinking about what has been learned during the past fifty years, one finds that progress was made at the expense of exactness. Past observations have been interpreted using theory with unreal assumptions. Theory and models must be testable, verifiable and consistent with observations. Current theory cannot explain many important observational results that are relevant for understanding how space plasmas work. This talk will examine the current model of space plasma and assess its capabilities. We will then discuss the required level of theory and models that should be developed to advance space physics to the next tier.