Using NOAA s NPOESS Svalbard NSV facility to support NOAA s Polar Satellites

1. Using NOAA’s NPOESS Svalbard (NSV) facility to support NOAA’s Polar Satellites Mickey Fitzmaurice-SOCC, POES Systems Engineering

2. Background Currently, NOAA’s operational ability to “dump” Polar satellite Global Area Coverage (GAC) data only exists at NOAA’s FCDA and WCDA facilities. When neither of these sites is in view long enough to dump data, we label these “blind” orbits because an orbit’s worth of data cannot be downloaded until at least the next orbit where view from WCDA or FCDA exists. The situation is exacerbated further when NOAA’s current constellation of POES satellites all arrive over FCDA (the most seen, highest latitude dumping station) simultaneously, i.e. go into operational conflict. Data latency increases when blind orbits and operational conflicts both occur, as data dumping to the FCDA/WCDA is delayed and limitations in the current DOMSAT bandwidth cause further delays in transferring the data to IPD (i.e. data stacks up on the ground at the FCDA/WCDA). BOTTOM LINE - DATA LATENCY (data processed less than 3 hours from observation) for orbital GACs on the operational Satellites can never be better than about 83% (average 2.5 blind orbits everyday for each operational satellite).

3. Background (cont.) With the current number of Polar satellites being controlled and operated by SOCC, the data latency issues are even further compounded when various instrument data from “secondary” satellites are requested/required to supplement instrument anomalies or overcome satellite issues on the “primary” satellites. e.g., N16 HIRS vs. N18 HIRS N15 AMSU vs. N17 AMSU N15, N16, N17 gyro 3 issues N15 antenna issues N15, N16, N17 tape recorder issues

4. Operational Pros of using NSV IPO antenna at Svalbard is NOAA controlled property! Antenna is under direct US control via a performance-based contract with an American Company (NGST) for unlimited use of the antenna and the associated comm circuit Use of current IJPS resources (datapaths into SOCC) by NSV for data transfer is possible now as the ICD implemented for NSV mirrored the IJPS ICD. All NSV validation testing to date has not interfered with IJPS testing, but, has actually uncovered operational issues which have been corrected, benefitting both efforts! Retrieving blind orbit data from the N17 and N15 satellites at NSV should never interfere with N18 blind orbit retrieval from IJPS Svalbard (SVL) due to orbit plane differentials. N18 blind orbits typically 0100-0500z N17 blind orbits typically 0930-1330z N15 blind orbits typically 0600-1000z Should an overlap occur on IJPS resources, priority would be N18, N17 then N15 according to POES Scheduling capabilities which have already been modified to schedule resources at NSV (small change made while IJPS mods to SOMS for SVL)

5. Operational Pros of using NSV Blind Orbit GAC data from N17 and N15 would be dumped and retrieved by NOAA SOCC and forwarded to NOAA IPD on average of 150 minutes earlier than is currently possible. Data Latency requirement would theoretically approach 100% Currently there are 2 or 3 blind orbits (2 or 3 datasets to recover) everyday when the satellite “comes out of the blind”. The first dataset dumped has just finished recording (it began 100 minutes ago) and the second dataset had finished recording during the previous orbit (it began 200 minutes ago). That is why our current data latency theoretical limit is ~83% (using average 2.5 blind orbits everyday) Data recorders that used to be reserved (tied up) until the dumping of the blind orbit GAC are now released to support any additional LAC requests during “non-blind orbits” (i.e., the blind GACs have already dumped, recorders are freed up). With the limited DOMSAT bandwidth from both FCDA and WCDA, getting orbital GACs is now further delayed due when multiple datasets are ‘stacked up” at the respective CDA.

6. Issues to overcome before going operational NSV antenna utilization is currently dominated by the Windsat/Coriolis mission (3-5 contacts per day).  Windsat/Coriolis is a non-operational asset.  Should NOAA OSO choose to use NSV for blind orbit data recovery, it immediately out-prioritzies Windsat/Coriolis.  However, while POES is in "test mode", Windsat receives higher priority on the antenna. This has been a minor nuisance during validation, but, testing has occurred successfully with regards to tracking the satellite, receiving the data and transferring it to SOCC and IPD.  NPP will outprioritize at NSV POES when it launches this matters because IPO antenna services are currently available (being paid for by NESDIS) for any KLMNN' POES satellite using any of the operational HRPT downlink frequencies (IJPS actually requires a special STX4 configuration with AIP data for every pass!) NPP's launch date has slipped to NET FY09 Scheduling To de-conflict NSV use either NESDIS.OSO.POES.SCHEDULING@noaa.gov or NESDIS.OSO.DMSP.Scheduling@noaa.gov   

7. Issues (cont.) While NSV testing to date has been very successful, final validation of the delivered datasets is still required. Data has been received, without error, on numerous (25) attempts at SOCC and transferred to IPD. IPD still needs to confirm that the data received via NSV, processes the same as the data delivered via the heritage (albeit later in time) system. This testing can not be completed until the IJPS IV&V is completed as small software changes after any testing requires another round of regression testing. Blind orbit data would no longer be transferred over the DOMSAT link. This would require all current DOMSAT “cherry pickers” to get their data directly from IPD. AFWA, Univ. of Wisc, Monterey, etc. would need to get data directly from IPD, i.e., the same way they will have to when N18 starts dumping at IJPS SVL.

8. Conclusion NSV has been successfully tested with regards to data recovery, but, until the IJPS interface is completely tested and operational (expected late July 2006), operational validation testing cannot commence. NOAA IPD needs to validate data processing is identical to heritage data ingest (currently second priority behind IJPS processing validation). The final scheduling software for utilizing the Svalbard site is tied to the last release of IJPS and will not be operational until mid-July 2006. The NPOESS solution could be operational by early Fall 2006 if not further delayed by NSOF building move.