This work focuses on the upward extension of the Navy’s global/regional numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems to forecast not just the troposphere, but also the entire near-space and space environment (stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere) up to ~500 km altitude. NRL has recently developed next-generation NWP systems known as the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) and the NRL Environmental Prediction System Utilizing a Nonhydrostatic Engine (NEPTUNE). New work seeks to extend NAVGEM and NEPTUNE to ~500 km. NAVGEM 0-500 km will provide the ensemble atmospheric forecasts for a new ensemble based whole-atmosphere global data assimilation capability based around the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) method. NEPTUNE 0-500 km will provide high-resolution global nonhydrostatic whole-atmophere forecasts using a spectral-element dynamical core initialized with initial conditions from the NAVGEM/LETKF data assimilation system. We seek applicants interested in working on any facet of this high-altitude NWP development work or in using these high-altitude NWP system runs on high-performance computer systems to perform fundamental research on high-altitude NWP from planetary scales down to mesoscales. Particular foci for development include (1) improved fast physical parameterizations for the mesosphere and thermosphere, (2) LETKF-based assimilation of thermospheric observations, (3) predictive studies of deep gravity-wave propagation into the mesosphere and thermosphere and their space-weather effects, (4) benchmarking 0-500 km NWP skill and predictability, and (5) CFD development of aspects of the nonhydrostatic 0-500 km NEPTUNE spectral-element dynamical core, including time integrators, molecular viscosity terms, static mesh refinement and limited area configurations. Applicants interested in other areas of research and development that utilize these NWP capabilities are also encouraged to apply.