Authors: Joseph Olson (UW-Madison), Cary Forest (UW-Madison), Jan Egedal (UW-Madison), John Sarff (UW-Madison)

The Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory (WiPPL) is a multi-machine, collaborative research facility directed toward fundamental topics in discovery plasma science: dynamos, reconnection, turbulence, particle acceleration, coherent structures, and plasma systems. A large fraction of the run time is for users from outside WiPPL who lead experimental projects on basic, heliospheric, astrophysical, and fusion plasma studies. An overview of WiPPL capabilities is presented, showcasing recent heliospheric relevant projects and key results to date performed on the the Big Red Ball (BRB). On BRB, reconnection is studied with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution; parallel and perpendicular shock formation are studied using pulsed power in a theta pinch and with CT injection; and the large scale magnetic topology of the Parker spiral is studied using a novel technique to generate a rotating magnetosphere. New capabilities in the near term will use a rotating dipole to emulate a pulsar wind system in the lab and a planar spheromak injector is being installed to mimic the system of a galactic jet expanding into the intergalactic medium. WiPPL provides a versatile test bed for the study of many fundamental plasma problems related to our near-Earth environment.