Space Systems
NOAA has continued to sustain and improve its environmental satellite systems, spacecraft, instruments, ground stations, communications, and algorithms, as well as its product generation, archive, and distribution capabilities. They are the foundation of our efforts to understand global climate change. Noblis has supported NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) since 1984 and has directly contributed to keeping environmental satellites operational and secure amidst advancing technologies and changes to satellites, instrumentation, and ground systems. Our contributions have had impacts on the continuance of satellite data to track the dangerous hurricanes we experienced this year. Collectively, we have more than three hundred staff years of experience working with NOAA to maintain a robust and state-of-the-art constellation of environmental satellites.
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U.S. Earth-Observing Satellites
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)
Noblis initiated support of GOES in 1984 with the development of ground system requirements for operations of the new generation GOES-IM instruments. Continuing with the GOES-N satellite, the next satellite scheduled for launch, Noblis conducted analyses to assess the impact to NOAA's operations and to other users of the radio spectrum. In the GOES program, the next major changes will occur with the launch of the GOES-R satellite. GOES-R will have state-of-the-art instruments that-along with technology advancements in processing-will generate environmental and climate data six times faster and at finer spatial resolutions than today's systems. It will also require state-of-the-art communication links to transport that information. Noblis supported the sizing of the ground system processing and communications links for the enlarged science data stream and products. Noblis helped create the technical requirements for all communications links on the GOES-R satellite series, using lessons learned from the current GOES-N series communications tests, incorporating known and projected advances in technology. Noblis also began exploring Internet-based technologies to distribute the GOES-R data.
Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES)
Noblis began support of the NOAA polar-orbiting satellites in 1984 with the development of requirements for the telemetry and command system portion of the ground system. We later helped develop requirements for the automated scheduling and handling of simultaneous acquisition and data downloads of multiple satellites at a single ground station. Noblis also assisted NOAA in achieving launch readiness for the NOAA KLM series of satellites and supported NESDIS in its ongoing management of the polar data product suite.
National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)
A Presidential Decision Directive signed in 1994 established a single, converged, operational polar-orbiting environmental satellite system, intended to reduce the duplication of those currently operated by NOAA and the U.S. military, designated the NPOESS. One example of how our work supports the advancement of the NPOESS science and technology is NOAA's NPOESS Data Exploitation (NDE) Project. NDE will provide cutting-edge geophysical data to researchers, scientists, and environmental and climate forecasters worldwide. Our work ensures that users will continue to receive the mission-critical environmental products while also taking advantage of higher spectral and spatial resolution from the NPOESS instrument data, a 1200-fold increase in data volume over the current POES system. Our work in architecture and infrastructure planning supports improved polar data processing system management, the integrity of the design, and conformity to information technology best practices and government standards. Noblis' work on new state-of-the-art sensors includes (1) developing the specifications for these sensors, (2) evaluating their designs for requirements compliance and soundness, (3) tracking and evaluating development progress against engineering standards, and (4) developing plans for emerging technologies. We also provide engineering support for the NPOESS ground segment, including evaluating the design of Command, Control, and Communications and supporting the Flight Vehicle Simulator, which provides high-fidelity simulations of the on-orbit spacecraft and sensors.
Metop
In preparation for the POES and Meteorological Operation (Metop) Integrated Joint Polar System cooperative satellite constellation with the EUMETSAT, we assisted NOAA in enhancing its communications ground system to be able to download Metop data and incorporate it into the polar products suite.
DMSP
In preparation for the NPOESS era of joint DOD and civilian meteorological monitoring missions on common spacecraft, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft operations was collocated with NOAA POES operations and operated by NOAA. Noblis assisted NOAA in preparing for this added mission by developing a NOAA operational staffing plan and also by developing the requirements for telemetry and command equipment compatible with the POES operation. We continue to assist NOAA in DMSP operations by supporting failover exercises to DOD backup facilities.
Landsat
The Landsat program is a collaborative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USGS focuses on acquiring and assimilating land remote sensing data, while NASA’s role is to ensure the continuity of data through next-generation technology. For almost 30 years, Noblis has been involved in various advisory roles with the Landsat program, guiding the steady improvement in land remote sensing observational capabilities within that series of satellite missions working for Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Stennis Space Center (SSC), NASA Headquarters, and the USGS. We have conducted and analyzed Landsat data user surveys for both SSC and the USGS. We also perform costing and financial analyses for various Landsat program configurations comparing data-buy, design-to-build, and stand-alone satellite development life cycle costs. In addition, we support the study team commissioned by the Executive Office of the President to analyze various options for acquiring Landsat-like data in the event of an existing Landsat satellite failure prior to launch of the next-generation Landsat satellite.
Land Remote Sensing. The USGS Land Remote Sensing (LRS) Program's mission is to provide and encourage the use of historical, current, and future remotely sensed data and derived scientific information for a variety of applications in order to accomplish the following:
- Protect and enhance the quality of life for U.S. citizens
- Facilitate monitoring, scientific description, and understanding of the Earth and its natural and human-induced processes
- Minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters
- Manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources
The LRS Program provides data products and services to scientists, engineers, resource managers, policy makers, and other users in the United States and around the world. The primary focus of Landsat centers on mapping the environmental conditions that relate to land cover, land use, and natural resources. Noblis has worked with the USGS to better understand the utility of Landsat data as well as the benefits of the Land Remote Sensing Program. Noblis identified the wide variety of Landsat data uses, the distributors of Landsat data, the benefits of Landsat data and products both domestically and internationally, and the importance of a continued Landsat program.
Supporting NASA’s Commitment to Data Continuity. We work with NASA to explore alternatives for maintaining continuity of Landsat equivalent data, from continuing traditional free flyer satellite with the Landsat instrument, to adding the Landsat instrument payload to other mission satellites such as NPOESS. Noblis is working on a range of satellite technologies under contract to the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) that make satellites more autonomous and quicker to respond to transient phenomena. Our work on the Earth Observing satellites such as EO-1, Terra, and Landsat, combined with our involvement in setting up the GSFC Mission Autonomy Lab has resulted in implementation of numerous advanced tools and techniques both in ground elements and on-orbit within the flight element to improve the scheduling and capture of high-value scientific data. The response time from identification of an event to new tasking of the on-orbit assets has been drastically reduced. Advanced techniques for combining data from different platforms have been perfected and links between operational sensor platforms and predictive models have been established. Noblis also performs specialized analyses to identify and acquire Land Cover/Land Use data from various satellites that will compensate for the missing data from the aging Landsat fleet.
EOS
Our work on the Earth Observing Systems (EOS) program at NASA Headquarters and GSFC ranged from definition of high-level system requirements and operational concepts to project-level risk analyses, test planning, interface definition, and operational readiness preparation. We currently support advanced automation implementations for the Terra, Aqua, and Aura satellites.
Space Program Support
Space Shuttle
Since the 1970s, Noblis has supported NASA by performing critical system engineering activities on all major space programs within the agency. Our groundbreaking work on computer performance modeling and benchmarking for the Space Shuttle program at the Johnson Space Center combined then state-of-the-art queuing theory and reliability theory into a quantitative analysis structure that could predict Shuttle computer behavior under varying load conditions. At the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), we defined rapid application prototyping techniques for use on engineering support systems for Shuttle processing. Using artificial intelligence techniques and in-situ sensors installed around and near the launch pads at KSC, we also prototyped a system for predicting lightning strikes prior to Shuttle launches.
Space Station
We provided technical support to the Space Station program office in acquisition planning and in the development of engineering tools for tracking requirements and their translation into design, fabrication, and test documentation. Noblis spearheaded the use of metrics and standards in project planning and constantly encouraged the computation of full lifecycle costs for each developmental component of the Station.
Space Telescope
Early work on the Space Telescope ground system design enabled the GSFC Program Office to acquire and test ground system capabilities crucial for successful launch and early orbit operations of this major observatory.
Weather and Land-Imaging Satellite Databases
Since 1995, Noblis has been providing summary reports on all national and international land imaging satellites with resolutions better than or equal to Landsat’s 30 meters. The data in these reports were developed into a prototype of an interactive web-based database. Noblis also incorporated weather satellite data into this database tool; that version of the database is still in use by NOAA as a major information and organization tool. The database provides quick and reliable access to data product information, satellite specifications, mission descriptions, and science parameter metadata for all U.S. Earth-observing satellites by agency. It is used to assess the impact to data production of changes that occur in satellite raw data due to on-board problems or satellite sustaining engineering activities. It is also used to summarize and report status of remote sensing capabilities for each agency.
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System
Noblis modeled the telecommunications loading and performed other spacecraft and ground systems analyses for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System at GSFC. We also developed test and evaluation documentation and verification and validation plans. In addition, we participated in pre-launch mission simulations to verify the function and performance of the ground support systems.
Antenna Work
We are collaborating with antenna engineers at the Glenn Research Center and GSFC to prototype advanced antenna technologies that will enable high-speed data receipt from multiple satellites using electronically steered phased array or inflatable array antenna technologies.
Direct Broadcast
We are also working with the Direct Readout Lab under the GSFC Computational Information Sciences Technology Office to define and document the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) In-Situ Ground System (NISGS) working in coordination with the NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO) Direct Readout Mission. This system will be distributed to various direct broadcast sites around the globe to capture local data readouts in real time, process MODIS data from Terra and Aqua and data from new instruments on NPP at the local sites, and post it for retrieval by other nodes in the direct readout network within minutes. See directreadout.gsfc.nasa.gov for more information.
Additional Areas of Support
Lidar
Noblis provides systems engineering support to the multi-agency development of a Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) satellite mission to measure global tropospheric wind profiles for weather forecasting and climate research. Noblis supports the Working Group and the Mission Definition Team on Space-Based Lidar Winds. Tropospheric wind profiles are the number one unaccommodated Environmental Data Record (EDR) for weather forecasting. Doppler Wind Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is the appropriate technology for a satellite instrument to measure global winds. The needed science (weather forecasting, simulation experiments, atmospheric models and in situ measurements, and benefits studies) and technologies (laser, optics, and scanning) for a space DWL mission are being steadily advanced by NASA, NOAA, industry, and universities. Concepts and preliminary designs are under development for airborne and space prototype missions, overseen by the Mission Definition Team. Noblis supports development of interagency requirements, instrument and mission design concepts, cost and benefit studies, technology roadmaps and planning activities. This new measurement technique will supply the most important weather forecasting data need that is not currently being supplied on a global scale.
SATPROD - Design Support System for Instrument-to-Product Configuration Management
Noblis created the Satellite Product Overview Display (SATPROD), a database of all of the NESDIS satellite products. This system is used by government management to determine the impact of on-orbit instrument failures, thus providing a tool for deciding when the launch of a new satellite is critical to keeping the flow of environmental data continuous.
Through the use of the Search and Rescue instrumentation on NOAA's environmental satellites, more than 17,000 individuals have been rescued from life-threatening situations worldwide; in 2004, 163 individuals have been rescued in the United States. Our support to NOAA on the ground system infrastructure, data-receiving antennas, and communications systems was vital to making this possible. Our commitment to the public interest is apparent in our support of this system employing government assets to save a life or to help avoid personal injury.
IJPS - Initial Joint Polar System
Teamwork among Noblis employees, government technical experts and management, other contractors, and international meteorological agencies is exemplified in the Initial Joint Polar System (IJPS) program created by NOAA and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) to share responsibility for environmental polar-orbiting satellite operations with two independent, but fully coordinated systems. NOAA will continue to orbit the afternoon POES series of satellites, while EUMETSAT will fly a new morning-orbiting MetOp satellite. These teams developed and implemented requirements for IJPS System, Command and Data Acquisition and Satellite Operation Control Center, Communications, Product Generation and Distribution, and Verification and Validation elements. As part of our teamwork, we established the first NOAA communications gateway with server capability at a foreign agency. During IJPS, the NOAA Satellite will continue to provide data from an afternoon (2:00 p.m.) orbit, while the MetOp satellite will take over for the morning (9:30 a.m.) orbit.
Noblis provided ground system designs and launch and early orbit support to the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) at GSFC.
Over the years, we have assisted NASA in managing various technology programs at GSFC and the Langley Research Center and have worked on individual technology activities for improved remote sensing data delivery and data analysis capabilities. Technology work in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Ames Research Center led to development of autonomous science operations and spacecraft diagnostics tools using a set of model-based, artificial intelligence software. Noblis led the Flight Software effort to integrate these tools and related classification algorithms on-board the Earth Observing One (EO-1) spacecraft. See the EO-1 website for more information at (eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov). Noblis' work on advanced sensor networks and detection/collection techniques embodied in the Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment on EO-1 (ase.jpl.nasa.gov) received the NASA Software of the Year award for 2005 (icb.nasa.gov/nasaswy.html). Ongoing work within the GSFC Integrated Mission Autonomy Lab establishes and extends the viability of implementing sensor webs and virtual observatory approaches with architectural descriptions and operational concepts for a fully integrated sensor fleet involving a common set of middleware for space, ground, and unmanned mobile platforms. A recent demonstration developed by Noblis involving University of Maryland students is described in the following Space News article (www.space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_060116.html).
For years, we have supported the NESDIS Office of Research and Applications (ORA). ORA conducts scientific research on the use of satellite data for monitoring meteorological, climatological, terrestrial, and oceanographic environmental characteristics. Among our contributions was the pursuit of further knowledge regarding the prediction of climate change and variability. Quality climate data records are key to drawing reasonable conclusions about climate change. Noblis assisted ORA in developing and presenting a white paper to a Committee of the National Academy of Science, representing the scientific and user climate communities for the purpose of exchanging knowledge and soliciting advice from the scientific climate community on establishing a program for generating long-term climate data records. Our work resulted in NOAA beginning the creation of an operational infrastructure and an end-to-end process for creating, archiving, and distributing climate data records to the scientific community.
Business Operations and PlanningBusiness Continuity Planning (BCP). BCP provides for continuity of operations (COOP), disaster recovery, and business continuity plans for the satellite ground systems to ensure that critical systems can continue to support the needs of NESDIS and its satellite ground control, product development and distribution, data archiving, and the supporting operational functions that include software development and technology modernization. Teamwork was required to complete the requisite tasks, to provide the tools, and to train personnel on their use. Additionally, the complexity and comprehensiveness of COOPs and BCPs required the coordination of team members holding a number of technical specialties.
Information Technology Architecture. Noblis' support in formulating the NESDIS Information Technology (IT) Architecture achieved the highest standards of excellence. Noblis ensured that the NESDIS information technology was being procured and used consistently and without unnecessary duplication in support of higher objectives at NESDIS, NOAA, the Department of Commerce, and the Office of Management and Budget. Noblis linked every major system to organizational goals and strategies through an enterprise architecture model and developed migration plans from baseline to target systems.
Facility Relocation and Planning
NESDIS—NOAA Satellite Operations Facility. In 1999, NOAA and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) jointly agreed to construct a new facility designed to meet the NESDIS requirements. We provide support in the facilities and relocation planning for the uninterrupted 24x7 operations of five operational centers to a new 190,000 sq ft facility designated the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF), as well as telecommunications and infrastructure planning and support for grounding and lightning protection. All environmental satellite data for at least the next 20 years will be routed through NSOF.
NWS—National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Noblis assisted the NWS in the initial planning for relocation of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) from the World Weather Building in Camp Springs to a planned, new 265,000 sq ft building on the University of Maryland campus in College Park.
NESDIS—Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP). Noblis assisted NESDIS in selecting and equipping a backup site for Product Generation and Distribution. We surveyed and evaluated candidate sites, estimated lifecycle costs, and developed plans for the outfitting and equipping of the selected site.
Noblis' work in support of NASA and NOAA involves collaborations with numerous other federal government agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Geo-Spatial Intelligence Agency, as well as numerous foreign government space and science agencies. Much of our space-based remote sensing work involves collaborative efforts with university peers and others from various laboratories and institutes across the United States.
