U.S. National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System: Progress, Plans, and Partnerships
- Paper number
IAC-08.B1.1.3
- Author
Dr. Shaida Johnston, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, United States
- Year
2008
- Abstract
This paper presents the progress made to date toward the development and launch of the U.S. National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System(NPOESS). A restructuring of the program in 2006 to bring the program budget back in line meant realigning the sensor compliment. In doing so, it was necessary to focus on operational weather priorities rather than those associated with climate measurements. Intra-governmental cooperation among scientists, program managers and budget analysts has continued in order to assure the continuity of climate missions and data. Their efforts to mitigate the loss of these measurements from the operational weather platforms, are part of the discussion included in this paper. Specific sensors and measurements are delineated, along with potential options for their accommodation or alternative data sources. International cooperation to leverage Earth observing assets, data sharing partnerships, and coordinated mission planning, all converge to potentially fill gaps and provide continuous climate data records. In addition, planning for the next generation of NPOESS has begun. Some of the technology improvements being considered for the next block of operational weather satellites are included for future perspectives.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)