A Tri-agency Effort to Leverage and Combine Environmental Satellite Activities

NPOESS

National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System

Satellite Direct Readout Conference for the Americas

John D. CunninghamSystem Program DirectorIntegrated Program Office

11 December 2002

NATIONAL POLAR-ORBITING OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE SYSTEM

A Tri-agency Effort to Leverage and Combine Environmental Satellite ActivitiesMissionProvide a national, operational, polar-orbiting remote-sensing capabilityAchieve National Performance Review (NPR) savings by converging DoD and NOAA satellite programsIncorporate new technologies from NASAEncourage International CooperationSaves $1.6B through System Life Cycle compared to NPR target of $1.3BNPOESS is Good Government!Local Equatorial Crossing Time053013300930


NPOESSNPOESS is required to provide an OPERATIONAL remote sensing capability to acquire and receive in real-time at field terminals, and to acquire, store and disseminate to processing centers, GLOBAL and regional environmental imagery and specialized METEOROLOGICAL, CLIMATIC, TERRESTRIAL, OCEANOGRAPHIC and SOLAR-GEOPHYSICAL and other data in support of CIVILIAN and NATIONAL SECURITY missions


National ImportanceMilitary CommunityShift tactical and strategic focus from coping with weather to anticipating and exploiting atmospheric and space environmental conditionsCivilian Community Timely, accurate, and cost-effective public warnings and forecasts of severe weather events, reduce the potential loss of human life and property and advance the national economySupport of general aviation, agriculture, and maritime communities aimed at increasing U.S. productivityCommitment to support long-term data continuity for environmental monitoring and Global Change assessment

NPOESS Goal: Improve the Nations Space-Based, Remote Sensing Capabilities for Environmental Monitoring


Establishing NPOESSNational Space Council Study - 1992National Performance Review (NPR) - September 1993Identified Need for Coordinated Effort OSTP Convergence Implementation Plan submitted to Congress - May 1994Presidential Decision Directive/NSTC-2 - May 1994Directed Convergence of National AssetsTri-agency Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) - May 1995Established Roles and Responsibilities of Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, and NASAEUMETSAT/NOAA Initial Joint Polar Agreement - November 1998Brought in International Community


Two Polar-orbiting SystemsPOES (Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite) First Launched April 1, 1960 CurrentlyNOAA-15 Launched May 1998NOAA-16 Launched Sep 2000 NOAA-17 Launched Jun 2002DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) CurrentlyF-14 Launched December 1994 F-15 Launched December 1999F-16 Planned for May 2003


DMSP/POES to NPOESS Convergence & Evolution of Mission AreasDMSPMilitaryCivilDoD/AFDoD/AFDOC/NOAADOC/NOAA-Imaging- wave Sounding-Space Environment-Under DMSP SPO-Imaging-Sounding-Climate-Ozone-Space Environment-Under POES Prog OfficeImagingSoundingClimateOzoneSpace EnvironmentUnder Integrated Program OfficePOESOPQRCONVERGENCEBlock 6DiscontinuedTri-Agency


EvolutionToday4-Orbit System2 US Military2 US Civilian053013300930METOPFuture (2008-2018)3-Orbit System3 US Converged1 EUMETSAT/METOPSpecialized SatellitesU.S. civil and defense programs, working in partnership with EUMETSAT, will ensure improved global coverage and long-term continuity of observations at less cost!Local Equatorial Crossing Time0530073013300830DMSPDMSPPOESPOESLocal Equatorial Crossing TimeSpecialized SatellitesNPOESSNPOESSNPOESS


Satellite Transition Schedule(DMSP 2yr launch centers, NPOESS GAP 6c NLF input)Slopes indicate 10-90% need

----------------10 Year Mission Life-------------------CY9900111213141516171803080910010207040506Local Equatorial Crossing TimeS/CDeliveriesS/C delivery interval driven by 15 month IAT scheduleAs of: 20 Oct 02FY9900111213141516171803080910010207040506MissionSatisfaction1330POESEOS-AquaNPOESSEarliest Need to back-up launchEarliest Availability0530DMSP0730 - 1030NPOESSC3F20NPOESSDMSPPOESNPPEOS-TerraMETOPC117F18C4C5C6Most probable launch dateLaunch date based on backup needNPOESS


Building A More Capable SystemFirst Image from TIROS-1First Image from EOS-TerraMississippi Delta from the MODIS Instrument 24 February 2000


An End-to-End Responsibility


NPOESS RequirementsIntegrated Operational Requirements Document (IORD-I)59 Data Products 9 Enhancement Products1 System Characteristic KPPValidated by JARC 1996IORD-II55 Data Products 21 Enhancement Products2 System Characteristic KPPsValidated by JARC Dec 2001Convergence of AlternativesConvergence of RequirementsConverged requirements provide foundation for combined programFirst success after eight previous attempts


Sea Surface Temperature (SST)Sea Surface Temperature is defined as a highly precise measurement of the temperature of the surface layer (upper 1 meter) of ocean water. It has two major applications: 1) sea surface phenomenology, and 2) use in infrared cloud/no cloud decision for processed cloud data. The accompanying requirements apply only under clear conditions (unless specified otherwise).IORD Content Example


Environmental Data RecordsBy Sensor


LEGENDEnvironmental Data RecordsBy Discipline

AtmosphericOceanicTerrestrialSpace EnvironmentClimate

Atmos Vert Moist ProfDn Lwave Rad (Sfc)Ozone-Tot Col/ProfileAtmos Vert Temp Prof Electric FieldPrecipitable WaterImageryElectron Density ProfPrecip Type / RateSea Surf TempAero Refractive IndexPressure (Surf/Profile)Sea Surf WindsGeomagnetic FieldSea Ice Age CharSoil MoistureIce Surface TempSea Surface Hgt/TopoAero Opt ThicknessEnergetic IonsSnow Cover/DepthAerosol Particle SizeIn-situ Plasma FluctSolar IrradianceAlbedo (Surface)In-situ Plasma TempST- Auroral ParticlesAuroral BoundaryDownward Swave RadSurface Wind StressAuroral ImageryMed Energy ParticlesSuspended MatterCloud Base HeightIonospheric ScintAuroral Energy DeposCloud Cover/LayersLand Surface TempOut Lwave Rad (TOA)Cloud Eff Particle SizeSurface TypeCloud Ice Water PathNet Heat FluxCloud Liquid WaterNet Solar Rad (TOA)Cloud Opt ThicknessNeutral Density ProfileCloud Top HeightTotal Water ContentCloud Top PressureVegetation IndexCloud Top TempOcean Color / ChlorCloud Part Size / DistOcean Wave Char


NPOESS Program Vision

The IPO and TRW/Raytheon team:

Working in a spirit of shared ownershipto develop and deploy the single, national, polar-orbiting environmental remote-sensing capabilityto meet next-generation civil and military needsBreaking the Mold!

Thinking Out of the Box

Working Together

Creating SuccessThe only thing they pay us for!


NPOESS Payloads* Critical instrument - Failure constitutes need to replace satellite


NPOESS Segment ArchitectureC3 SegmentWSC LEO&ABackup T&CSvalbardPrimary T&CNPP SMDMMC at SuitlandFlight Operations TeamMMC at SchrieverAlternate Operations Team15 Globally Distributed Receptor Sites


Policy and PlanningNPOESS will deliver data to users world-wide in accordance with US national data policyData will be broadcast openly around the world at no cost to receiversCapability for data encryption/data denial exists for national defense needsDenial can be done on a world-wide or geographic basis

NPOESS calls the world-wide users field terminals (to differentiate from the Weather Centrals)


Risk ReductionValidate technological approach to remote sensingEarly delivery of NPOESS data to usersSensor demonstrations on non-operational platformsLower risk to operational usersLower risk of launch delays due to operational scheduleShare cost & risk among agenciesWindSatNASA ER2 / NASTNPP


NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed [NAST]OBJECTIVESSimulate Candidate Spaceborne Instruments (CrIS, ATMS, IASI)Evaluate Key EDR AlgorithmsPreview High Resolution Products (Spectral & Spatial)Under Flight Calibration/Validation INSTRUMENTS [NAST-I & NAST-M]NAST-I: IR Interferometer [FTS] SounderNAST-M: Microwave Sounder*Co-Boresighted IR and MicrowaveIR Interferometer [FTS] Sounder 3.5 16 mHigh Spectral Resolution (1000 < du / u < 2000)High Sensitivity in a cold scene0.10 K NEDT @ 14.9 m (250K)0.15 K NEDT @ 8.2 m (250K)0.20 K NEDT @ 4.7 m (250K)Microwave Sounder[3 Bands, 16 Channels] 54, 118, 183 GHzNASA ER-220 km ALTITUDENADIR 2.6 km IFOV 23 km GROUND COVERAGE 48 o Scan*Hurricane BonnieCross-Section


WindSat/CoriolisJoint NAVY/IPO/DoD Risk Reduction Demo

Description: Validates concept of passive measurement of Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Direction, using Polarimetric Radiometer and other environmental parameters derived from microwave observationsCapability:Planned launch in December 2002 on Titan II

Measure Ocean Surface Wind Direction (Non- Precipitating Conditions)

25 km spatial resolution

Secondary MeasurementsSea Surface Temperature, Soil Moisture, Rain Rate, Ice, and Snow Characteristics, Water VaporJoint Development/Partnership1. STP [Space Test Program] Office - DOD/USAF2. MELV [Medium Expendable Launch Vehicle]3. USN [U.S. Navy] - CNO/N6, ONR, NRL4. NPOESS IPO [Integrated Program Office]


NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP)Joint IPO/NASA Risk Reduction Demo

NPP Spacecraft contract awarded to Ball Aerospace May 2002Instrument Risk ReductionEarly delivery / instrument-level test / system-level integration and testVIIRS - Vis/IR Imager Radiometer Suite (IPO)CrIS - Cross-track IR Sounder (IPO)ATMS - Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (NASA)OMPS Ozone Mapping/Profiling SuiteProvides lessons learned and allows time for any required modifications before NPOESS first launchGround System Risk ReductionEarly delivery/test of a subset of NPOESS-like ground system elementsEarly User Evaluation of NPOESS data productsProvides algorithms / instrument verification and opportunities for instrument calibration / validation prior to first NPOESS launchAllows for algorithm modification prior to first NPOESS launchContinuity of data for NASAs EOS Terra/Aqua missions


Real-Time Operational Demonstrations

NPP (FY06)CrIS/ATMS & VIIRSAqua (FY02)AIRS/AMSU/HSB & MODISMETOP (FY06)IASI/AMSU/MHS & AVHRRNPOESS (FY09)CrIS/ATMS, VIIRS, CMIS, OMPSUse of Advanced Sounder Data for ImprovedWeather Forecasting/Numerical Weather PredictionCoriolis (FY03)CMISNWS/NCEPECMWFUKMOFNMOCNWPForecasts

NOAA Real-Time Data Delivery TimelineGround Station ScenarioNOAAReal-timeUserC3SIDPSJoint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation


Calibration/ValidationTo tie it all together and make it work.


IDPS ProductsEnvironmental Data RecordsVIIRS Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer SuiteEnvironmental Properties Displayed at VIIRS Pixel LocationsCloud Top HeightsCloud LayersTotal Precipitable WaterSurface Temperature


Environmental ObservingAll Weather ImagingPrecipitation MeasurementMulti-spectral Hurricane Mapping and ProfilingOzone MonitoringSea Surface Temperature Ocean CirculationNatural HazardsDetection and MappingSnow and IceMapping and Monitoring


Protect Safety of Life and PropertyImprove Accuracy of Severe Weather WarningsImproved Microwave Imagery/Sounding products will improve prediction of wind speed and directionIncrease in hurricane landfall forecast skill will save an estimated $1 million per mile of coastline that does not have to be evacuatedImproved early warnings mitigate the devastating effects of floods through disaster planning and response


Other Benefits to the Civilian CommunityIce monitoring for shipping

NPOESS will improve ability to predict El Nio. A 60% increase in El Nio forecast skill will save $183 million per year over 12 year period

Snow cover mapping - spring flood prediction


Military Uses and BenefitsWeather and the WarfighterWeather is a force multiplier that:Improves PlanningEnhances operationsOptimizes lethality and survivabilityWeather Nowcast Decision Tool1/3 less likely to give a false alarm (false alarm = dont fly when weather is suitable for flying) with NPOESS data than with current systemNPOESS Data are Crucial to Providing Accurate Forecasts for Battle SpaceNPOESS Goal Maximize combat effectiveness through improved anticipation and exploitation of atmospheric and space environmental conditions


Fine-scale visible cloud imageryfrom DMSP satellite and9-hour forecast of 4 Kmclouds using MM5Balkans16Z 10 Aug0730Z 10 Aug 1618Z 10 Aug 12Z 10 AugFine-Scale METSAT and Forecasting


NebraskaNebraskaFuture of fine-scale weather forecastingis combining high-resolution satellitedata with numerical weather predictionand producing visualizations with impact12 Km4 KmFine-Scale METSAT and Forecasting


Satellite Data to Aid WarfighterTactical forecasters will use NPOESS + DAMPSfor Nowcast (0-6 hr) and Forecast (6hr +)

Aid in forecasts for:Carrier Operations PGM Strike Forecasts JSOWTLAMAmphibious OperationsSurf ForecastsFlight Operations


NPOESS Benefits the Nation & WorldAccurate forecasts are critical to the protection of life, safety, and propertyNPOESS data will improve forecasts and warningsImproved forecasts willReduce loss of life and propertyBenefit industry through increased productivityNPOESS will maintain long-term data continuity for climate monitoring and assessmentWeather permeates all aspects of military operationsNPOESS data will provide situational awarenessSituational Awareness is critical to Combat PlanningAir SuperiorityWinning the War


Integrated Program Office Points of Contact

Executive Staff - (301) 427-2070System Program Director: Mr. John CunninghamPrincipal Deputy System Program Director: Col Frank HinnantDeputy System Program Director: Mr. Carl HoffmanExecutive Director: CAPT Dean Smehil, NOAAAcquisition - (301) 427-2084Associate Director for Acquisition: Lt Col Pete LinnemannTechnology - (301) 427-2121Associate Director for Technology Transition: Mr. Stan SchneiderChief Scientist : Dr. Stephen A. MangoOperations - (301) 427-2088Associate Director for Operations: Mr. Bruce NeedhamNPOESS Websiteshttp://www.npoess.noaa.govhttp://npoesslib.ipo.noaa.gov/ (electronic bulletin board)

In the United States as well as internationally, the public expects to be provided with accurate weather and natural disaster forecasts and warnings. As our ability to predict seasonal-to-interannual climate change--such as El Nio--improves, the public will expect accurate longer-term forecasts as well. These forecasts depend on infrastructure of a different type--satellites, observing systems (e.g., Doppler weather radar and oceanographic buoys), and extensive communications systems. As we enter the 21st Century, the public's expectations for accurate weather and disaster forecasts are becoming greater. We need to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is provided. Today, I will spend a few minutes discussing a U.S. tri-agency and international cooperative program that will assist in meeting the demands of the next millennium,... ...establishing the NPOESS program was signed in May 1995. The Departments of Commerce and Defense and NASA created the NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO) to develop, acquire, manage, and operate the next generation of polar-orbiting operational environmental satellites. As part of this effort, the United States has partnered with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) to provide long-term continuity of observations from polar orbit that will continue and improve the operational meteorological and environmental forecasting and global climate monitoring services of the participating organizations.NPOESS is well positioned to meet its mission.

NPOESS will provide an operational remote sensing capability for the next millennium. NOESS will acquire and receive, in real time at field terminals, and to acquire, store and disseminate to processing centers, global and regional environmental imagery and specialized meteorological, climatic, terrestrial, oceanographic and solar-geophysical and other data in support of DoC mission requirements, and DoD peacetime and wartime missionsThe goal of converging these two systems is to improve the Nations space-based, remote sensing capabilities for environmental monitoring, to meet not only civil requirements, but the requirements of the Nations military as well.in May 1994, a convergence plan was submitted to the U.S. Congress stating, NPOESS can Reduce the cost of acquiring and operating polar-orbiting environmental satellite systems, while continuing to satisfy U.S. operational requirements for data from these systems.President Clinton endorsed this initiative, signing Presidential Decision Directive NSTC-2 ...establishing a single, converged, operational system [that] can reduce duplication of efforts in meeting common requirements while satisfying the unique requirements of the civil and national security communities. and the Tri-agency Memorandum of Agreement (MOA),

NPOESS is evolving the United States 4 spacecraft polar-orbiting satellite system into a two satellite system based on U.S. civil and national security requirements. Consistent with the PDD, the NPOESS program is implementing the converged system in a manner that encourages cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations, specifically leveraging European developed payloads and relying on EUMETSAT to provide the satellite for the third plane of the 3-satellite Joint Polar System constellation that will ensure global coverage for key environmental data.

On April 1, 2000, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the launch of the world's first weather satellite. The first image received from TIROS television picture transmission yielded a rather fuzzy view (500 lines, each containing 500 pixels) of weather systems over part of the globe.. Contrast that to todays technologies, which employ high resolution, multi-spectral imaging and sounding capabilities required to support advanced global and regional numerical weather prediction models. Here is one of the first images from the MODIS instrument aboard EOS-Terra, a product very similar to that to be obtained by the VIIRS aboard the NPP. BackgroundThis image of the Mississippi Delta was obtained on February 24, 2000 and is one of the first scenes acquired by the Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the EOS-Terra Spacecraft. It covers an area of 100km by 100km over New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. Some features clearly visible on the image are: the classic birds foot shape of the Mississippi Rivers channels in the delta sediment plumes around the delta and between the barrier islands north of it differences in ocean color between the shallow bays behind the barrier islands and the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The scene was made by combining three of the visible bands of the MODIS Land Surface Reflectance product In the next decade, NPOESS will begin delivering imagery and sounding data at high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions necessary to support analysis, prediction, and scientific understanding of the Earth system. The responsibilities for the NPOESS program extend from design, development, and acquisition of the next generation operational environmental satellites, through launch, on orbit operation, and delivery of raw data and derived products and applications to end users to improve operational meteorological and environmental forecasting and global climate monitoring services. NOAA, in cooperation with its other U.S. partners, will ensure that the voluminous data acquired from these new space-based sensors are archived and made available to support long-term global environmental monitoring. First image is the NOAA-L launch on Sep 21st 2000. NOAA -16 was launched on a Titan II out of Vandenburg, CAThe NPOESS sensor suites are being designed to deliver 61 primary Environmental Data Records (EDR) to end users. These measurements encompass atmospheric, oceanic, terrestrial, and solar-geophysical parameters. Complementary measurements from multiple instrument suites will improve capabilities for all-weather imaging and sounding.

NPOESS is currently undergoing a number of risk reduction activities. The purpose of this risk reduction phase is to converge remote sensing sensors & risk reduction flights to satisfy NPOESS operational requirements & agency long-term data continuity requirements. We will perform demonstration flights that are not tied to operational satellites to lower risk to operational users & lower risk of launch delays due to operational schedule. These activities also share cost & risk of development of these instrument among the supporting agencies. Id like to talk about three examples: the NPOESS Aircraft Sounder Testbed (NAST), WindSat/Coriolis, & the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP).

The objective of the NPOESS Aircraft Sounder Testbed (NAST) is to provide airborne infrared and microwave spectral radiances through field experiments to:Support determination of optimal spectral characteristics and calibration of IR and MW sounders for NPOESS; Determine spatial resolution and scan geometry for NPOESS sounders required to optimize soundings in the presence of clouds; Validate retrieval algorithms and accuracies for different climatic zones, meteorological and surface conditions, and cloud situations; Demonstrate the utility of the NPOESS specified sounding system for observing significant atmospheric processes (e.g., storm genesis and evolution, jet stream position and intensity, sea breeze phenomena, fog formation and dissipation, clear air turbulence, precipitation and cloudiness, etc.). WindSat/Coriolis is an Interagency Cooperation Success Story. The Naval Research Lab, with cooperation from NASA, the Air Force, and the IPO are demonstrating the concept of polarimetric radiometry to measure ocean surface wind speed and wind direction by modifying a Space Test Program Satellite Bus for the WindSat/Coriolis payload. The WindSat/Coriolois mission will measure the ocean surface wind field at a horizontal resolution of 25 km using a 1.9 m diameter reflector that is almost 3 times as large as the antenna on the DMSP Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMIS). An example of a product produced by such a instrument..

VIIRS will have multi-channel imaging capabilities to support the acquisition of high resolution atmospheric imagery and generation of a variety of applied products including: visible and infrared imaging of hurricanes and detection of fires, smoke, and atmospheric aerosols.

Documents

A Tri-agency Effort to Leverage and Combine Environmental Satellite Activities