Assessment of Satellite Earth Observation Programs--1991 (1991) / Chapter Skim
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3 Applications Programs and Other Major Issues
3 Applications Programs and Other Major Issues
Pages 36-51
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From page 36... ...
of the NRC with regard to the Earth observation satellite applications programs in NASA, NOAA, and the private sector. In addition, the government's progress in key program areas -- the Earth Probe small missions program, data management, research and analysis, and the relation of space, airborne, and ground measurements -- is evaluated.
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From page 37... ...
Over the years, NASA has led the world in developing a broad range of instrumentation and techniques for Earth remote sensing, and NOAA has provided international leadership through its operational polar orbiting and geostationary environmental satellite programs. The Landsat program, despite significant problems encountered in its transfer to the private sector, has nonetheless provided an uninterrupted stream of data and images since 1972, which has established a unique record of the world's changing landscape.
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Full coordination among federal agency, commercial, and foreign Earth observation programs remains elusive, however, and it is unclear whether the Mission to Planet Earth can be operated with maximum efficiency under existing government procurement and commercial remote sensing policies.
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The scientific rationale for such missions was reviewed in detail in the committee's report Strategy for Earth Explorers in Global Earth Sciences (SSB, 1988) , which is discussed in the next section, Earth Probe Mission Line.
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: NASA should launch and operate the space platforms and design and manage the downlinks to be developed as part of the space station program. Operational Earth remote sensors (NOAA and commercial)
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NOAA should carry out research on application of space-derived information, should be responsible for archiving all Earth remote sensing data, and should disseminate atmosphere and ocean data to the user community. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is performing many of these functions, in principle, although the agency has not received funding adequate to support ocean remote sensing on an operational basis.
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Recommendation X(C) : The commercial sector should own and manage the operational land remote sensing system, purchasing space when appropriate on NASA and NOAA satellites.
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Nevertheless, the agencies still need to develop a comprehensive strategy with appropriate contingency planning, in addition to full instrument calibration and data validation for intercomparison of observations from different sensors over the long term. As the various Earth observation programs progress, NASA, NOAA, and their foreign space agency partners should preserve long-term continuity and intercomparability of measurements in the process of upgrading instruments and responding to evolving research priorities.
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The data distribution policies for the broader applications and commercial sectors, however, need to be reviewed. EARTH PROBE MISSION LINE Summary of Recommendations The report Strategy for Earth Explorers in Global Earth Sciences (SSB, 1988)
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Current Status Significant opportunities exist for gathering key global change data through missions flown under an Earth Explorer line, which NASA has named the Earth Probe series. Because Earth Probes are intended to be smaller satellites with relatively short development times, they can advance the time in which some file:///C|/SSB_old_web/seo91ch3.htm (10 of 17)
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From page 46... ...
An important concern in the near term is the interruption of key measurements, such as global stratospheric ozone levels, the Earth's radiation budget, and the biological productivity of the oceans, made by satellite missions launched in the 1980s. The Earth Probe line provides an opportunity for extending those measurements until acquisition of the data sets is resumed by the EOS spacecraft.
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Finally, the committee considers it important that NASA request proposals from the scientific community for future Earth Probe missions through the customary open solicitation process. DATA MANAGEMENT In the past, data management and related support for data analysis have been the Achilles' heel of Earth observation satellite programs.
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These distributed archives are mission- or discipline-oriented and include the Upper Atmospheric Research Pilot Data System, Crustal Dynamics Project Data System, SAR Data Catalog System, NASA Ocean Data System, Pilot Climate Data System, and Pilot Land Data System. Anticipated Improvements and Additional Needs file:///C|/SSB_old_web/seo91ch3.htm (13 of 17)
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It is important to note that progress in the management of Earth observation satellite data and related in situ data is being made across the federal agencies, including NOAA. Comprehensive data policies and programs are being developed by the interagency Committee on Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES)
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It is important for NASA to continue to develop existing pathfinder data sets and to include the data sets that will be collected by ERS-1, UARS, and TOPEX/Poseidon for prototype studies in developing the EOSDIS. Despite the significant progress made by the agencies in their management of Earth observation satellite data, a number of concerns remain.
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From page 51... ...
In conjunction with the other agencies involved in global change research, it is important for NASA and NOAA to continue to develop a comprehensive plan for the surface and in situ data-gathering technologies and programs that are needed to complement Earth observations from space. The NASA aircraft and suborbital programs are essential elements of this plan.
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