Ionospheric and space plasma physics issues are investigated in a coordinated program combining space and rocket experiments, laboratory laser-plasma experiments, theory, and computer simulations. The experimental efforts will involve issues that can be observed in situ and studied in detail in the laboratory. Laboratory experiments performed in the NRL Space Chamber are used both to aid deployment of future space experiments and to stimulate and investigate space experiment observations. The theory component predicts likely processes and attempts to interpret experimental results from space and laboratory observations and to scale between the laboratory and space parameters.