Satellite and

Information

Service

June 21, 2018

Overview of the NOAA Satellite

Observing Systems Architecture

(NSOSA)

Dr. Karen St. Germain

Director, Office of Systems Architecture and Advanced Planning

NSOSA Community Day

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 2

Why Observing Capabilities Matter

• NESDIS helps to keep our public safe and our economy strong

• NESDIS’ 24x7 satellite data and products:

• Reduce extreme weather impacts through enhanced prediction capabilities, and by providing actionable and timely weather data

• Improve space weather readiness to lessen vulnerability of power suppliers, telecommunications banking and transportations systems

• Feed model predictions to maximize agricultural returns, savings for the energy sector and efficiency in the transportation industry

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 3

GOES-E

3rd Gen.

(USA)

75° W

GOES-W

3rd Gen.

(USA)

135° W

METEOSAT

3rd Gen.

(EUMETSAT)

0°

METEOSAT-IO

(EUMETSAT)

57.5° E

GEO-

KOMPSAT

(SOUTH

KOREA)

128° E

HIMAWARI

(JAPAN)

140° E

JASON

SENTINEL JPSS-1/-2

GOES-

Spare

3rd Gen.

(USA)

105° W

Today’s Generation of Observational Capability

EPS-SG-A

EPS-SG-B

SWFO – L1

Radarsat

GNSS-RO

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 4

Planning for the Future

• Evolving to a more mission-effective, integrated, adaptable, and affordable portfolio while responding to changing technology, emerging partnerships and evolving observation requirements

• Why start now?

• 10-15+ year development timeline for space assets

• Current constellation (GOES-R/S/T/U and JPSS-1/2/3/4) fly-outs 2026-2035

• The NOAA Satellite Observing Systems Architecture (NSOSA) study is examining NOAA’s future space segment architecture decisions

GOES-R – Nov. 2016 JPSS – Nov. 2017 GOES-S – March 2018

Future partner contributions assumed, including Sentinel, Himawari, Radarsat, MTG

GOES-R – Nov. 2016 JPSS – Nov. 2017

2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050

POR 2025

NSOSA Scope GOES

JPSS

COSMIC-2

DSCOVR/SWFO

Sounding (mW, IR, RO), Real Time Imaging, Ozone, Clouds, Winds, Space Weather

GOES-S Fly-out 2026

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 5

NSOSA Study – Informing Future Investments

• The NSOSA study is a pre-decisional analytic process to inform NOAA’s future space segment architecture decisions

• Which observation functions should be allocated to which orbits?

• Should we retain the legacy architecture or seek major change?

• Which observation functions should be improved?

• End-user requirements driven by NOAA operational needs

• Leveraging commercial, public and academia for innovative solutions

NASA GSFC, JPL, and KSC

Aerospace JHU APL

MIT-LL NOAA NESDIS, NWS, NOS, NMFS, and OAR

UCAR

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 6

NSOSA Study – Strategic Objectives

COMPATIBILITY WITH FIXED BUDGETS

PROGRAMMATIC FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY

DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

LOW RISK AT CONSTELLATION LEVEL

AVAILABILITY OF ALL CAPABILITIES Ensures moderate availability for broader scope of NOAA observations and services

Favors architectures that are compatible with stable

top-line funding

AVAILABILITY OF CORE CAPABILITIES Ensures the highest availability

for mission critical observations and services

Favors architectures that can be responsive to change

Encourages exploitation of available partner data to meet mission needs

Allows tolerance for risk associated with new business models and new technology while maintaining reliability

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 7

NSOSA Study – Observational Objectives

•3-D Winds

•Real Time (RT) regional weather imagery

•Global GNSS-RO soundings

•Global RT imagery

•Global Near RT microwave (MW) soundings

•Global Near RT infrared (IR) soundings

•Global ocean surface vector winds

•Non-RT global weather imagery

•Global ocean color/phytoplankton composition

•Microwave imagery

•Lightning

•Radar-based global precipitation rates

•Regional MW soundings

•Regional IR soundings

•Global sea surface height

•Global chemical concentration

•Ozone

•Outgoing Long Wave Radiation (NASA Mission)

• Incoming solar radiation (NASA Mission)

TERRESTRIAL/OCEAN OBJECTIVES

•Coronograph imagery: Off Sun-Earth line

•Coronograph imagery: Sun-Earth line

•Photospheric magnetogram imagery: Off Sun-Earth line

•Heliospheric images

•Auroral imaging

•Thermospheric O/N2 ratio (height integrated)

•Upper thermospheric density

• Ionospheric electron density profiles

• Ionospheric Drift Velocity

• Interplanetary Solar wind: Off Sun-Earth line

•Photospheric magnetogram imagery: Sun-Earth line

•Solar X-ray irradiance

•Solar EUV imaging

•Solar EUV irradiance

• Interplanetary Solar wind: Sun-Earth line

• Interplanetary energetic particles

•Geospace energetic Particles

•Geomagnetic field

• Interplanetary magnetic field

SPACE WEATHER OBJECTIVES

• Value model was driven by 38 observation requirements that encompass NOAA’s operational needs for the 2030-2050 epoch

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 8

NSOSA Study Informs Decision Making

Operational

Considerations

(NOAA/DoD/

Partners)

Strategic

Priorities

Technology

Opportunities

Policies &

Standards

NOAA User Prioritized Requirements

National Weather Service

National Marine Fisheries Service

National Ocean Service

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

NSOSA Analysis

Commercial Data/Services

NOAA Ground

Pre-Phase A

Partner Sources Program(s) of

Record

Source Agnostic Data/Products

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 9

NSOSA Study Architecture Analysis

Develop Constellation

Concepts Score Against

Requirements and Strategic Priorities

Model Costs

Observational Objectives

Strategic Objectives

Available Technology

Inform and Refine

Cost/Benefit

Relative Cost P

erf

orm

ance

Sco

re

• Considers future observing capabilities, partner observations, user requirements, instrument technologies, and commercial interests

• Provides discriminating choices and opportunities about the next generation, and establishes a robust analytic capability to evaluate and iterate opportunities

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 10

Evidence-Based Decision Making Tool

The value difference between

constellations 65 and 86 provides an

example of additional capabilities

possible at the same cost

Legacy Continuation Hybrid

3D winds

Real Time Imagery

Near-Space Atmospheric

Measurements

Rel

ativ

e P

erfo

rman

ce S

core

60 Series – “Legacy Continuation” (Comprehensive US Govt satellites)

80 Series – “Hybrid” (Mix of disaggregated US Govt satellites and hosted payloads and services)

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 11

Example Hybrid Architecture

• GEO is mixed US Gov. satellites and hosted payloads

• LEO systems are partially disaggregated

• Mixed resolution payloads, update rates

• Commercial Services and GNSS-RO Data Buys

Hosted

Imager

East

Hosted

Imager

West

GEO-

KOMPSAT

(SOUTH

KOREA)

128° E

HIMAWARI

(JAPAN)

140° E

JASON

SENTINEL

Sounder 1330

US Gov

Center GEO

“SuperGOES” EPS-SG-A

EPS-SG-B

Comprehensive

SWX – L1

Radarsat

Sounder 0530

MTG-I

(EUMETSAT)

0°

MTG-S

(EUMETSAT)

Wind LIDAR

Tundra

Tundra

Hosted

Instrument of

Opportunity

Comprehensive

SWX – L5

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 12

Hybrid Architecture Opportunities

• Different mix of observations with higher mission impact than strict legacy

• Quality and quantity of soundings (IR, MW, and GNSS-RO)

• Enhanced imagery and high-latitude coverage

• Operational space weather measurements

• New types of data needed by models

• More agility

• Adjust to changing technology, needs, and opportunities

• Increased use of and reliance on partner contributed observations

• Disaggregate and balance risk

• New business models

• Hosting of instruments

• Data purchase

• Ride shares

• Instruments of opportunity

EXAMPLES OF HIGH VALUE TRADES AND DEMOS • Transition to hosting payloads • Legacy vs new measurements • Space weather collected differently • Cross-grade imagers • New NOAA LEO orbits (0530, crossing) • Secure ingest of external data

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 13

Ongoing Community Engagement

• Public comment on NSOSA Study draft report

• NOAA is seeking comments via the Federal Register

• Community Day to discuss the study and answer questions

• Commercial Observations RFI

• Will support CWDP Round 3 and other NOAA observation requirements

• Released May 21, 2018; open for 60 days

• JPSS-2 Rideshare RFI

• Capabilities demonstrations that could rideshare with JPSS-2

• RFIs for other NSOSA-favored capabilities

• To include weather and space weather instruments and payload hosting services under various partnership models

Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration // 14

NSOSA Feedback Solicited

• Did NOAA consider a sufficiently broad range of alternatives?

• Are the opportunities that the analysis identified as deserving of consideration consistent with your knowledge of the state of the space enterprise?

• Are there outcomes or options that you recommend for further analysis?

• What suggestions do you have on how NOAA can better engage with industry, including approaches for developing innovative capabilities, new partnership opportunities and business models that may inform NOAA’s path forward?

• What suggestions do you have on how we can engage with the academic and research community and other stakeholders to ensure NOAA makes the best use of the outputs of this study?