Space Studies Board Annual Report 1994 (1995) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Space Studies Board Annual Report-1994 (Appendix A.1)
Space Studies Board Annual Report-1994 (Appendix A.1)
Pages 93-109
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 93... ...
The activities of this panel, which was a collaboration of the Space Studies Board, the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, and the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, were managed by the Commission office. Because the EOSDIS was the subject of a government procurement at REPORT MENU the time that the study was initiated, the panel first addressed those issues that NOTICE could be analyzed without the detailed system design information being FROM THE CHAIR developed by the industrial proposal efforts under way.
|
From page 94... ...
It is an interim report, provided in response to requests from NASA and other interested parties for an early alert as to the Panel's views of EOSDIS plans. The Panel's final report this August will offer detailed analyses for these interim judgements, and will also respond directly to the specific issues as posed in the Terms of Reference for this task.
|
From page 95... ...
Zraket Chair, Panel to Review EOSDIS Plans Panel to Review EOSDIS Plans Interim Report This interim report identifies several issues regarding NASA's plans for developing the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) and offers a number of recommendations that NASA should consider as it proceeds with procuring a contractor to build the system.
|
From page 96... ...
Global Change Research Program. The panel has been told repeatedly by responsible government officials that EOS is critical to the larger, global change program -- one involving many agencies of government, and other national and international participants -- and that EOSDIS offers a unique opportunity to begin building a national, and eventually, international, information system for global change research.
|
From page 97... ...
Flexibility also requires organizational and management structures and processes that can respond to evolving requirements and implement the means for meeting them. EOSDIS needs substantive user participation in the design and development of the system, including involvement in the decisions on data acquisition and archiving, standard or ad hoc product generation, and interfaces that directly affect science users.
|
From page 98... ...
To do so effectively, however, NASA should first ensure proper internal management attention and also should use its own personnel in earth science and computer science, who can contribute significantly to the successful design of the system. Secondly, NASA needs to bring the scientific user community into the project as a partner, rather than regarding users simply as customers.
|
From page 99... ...
It is important to all users that EOSDIS implementation proceed as closely as possible to the planned schedule. The panel has divided its assessment into three parts: user interactions, EOSDIS architecture, and EOSDIS management.
|
From page 100... ...
Version 0 science data requirements are being compiled into a Science Data Plan by the EOSDIS Project through regular interactions with the user community. The intent is to solicit regular review of these requirements from the science community to make certain that evolving needs are adequately reflected in the EOSDIS Project planning.
|
From page 101... ...
Prototyping has been a routine component of EOSDIS planning and Version 0 implementation by the Project Office. NASA has been successful in establishing prototype earth science data systems that are currently acquiring, processing, distributing, and archiving pre-EOS data.
|
From page 102... ...
NASA, in its response to questions from the panel, correctly pointed out that the issue of maintaining long-term archives is one that must be addressed by all participating federal agencies. Without a concrete plan and agency coordination for establishing permanent data archives, however, the overall objectives of EOS, and, therefore, of the U.S.
|
From page 103... ...
The panel recommends that NASA encourage broad user participation by providing greater opportunities to create customized data sets. EOSDIS Architecture Strengths The panel in its several lengthy discussions with EOSDIS technical staff was impressed by the staff's competence and motivation.
|
From page 104... ...
The panel recommends that NASA produce a clear, concise statement of the design criteria for EOSDIS that focuses on facilitating global change research and that NASA communicate these criteria throughout the Project hierarchy. The panel recommends that NASA strengthen its internal system architecture team by acquiring additional experienced people and that it give them the responsibility, authority, and budget to ensure that the design criteria are met as the system design and implementation proceed.
|
From page 105... ...
The current EOSDIS development plan closely ties the availability of the distributed archive and product generation functions to the EOS flight schedule. There is much work that should be done, however, prior to the first scheduled launch of EOS instruments in 1998 to strengthen prototyping efforts already under way.
|
From page 106... ...
It is also prudent practice to involve independent judgment by having this evaluation performed by a group other than those responsible for developing the system. The panel recommends a usability evaluation program starting as soon as possible that involves: Selecting key functions, interfaces, and system behavior attributes for evaluation; Defining a set of metrics and expected values of those metrics for each parameter to be evaluated; Creating prototypes, simulations, and test suites to stress aspects of usability; Using the evaluations to guide final specification of system components; and Implementing this program so that most of the evaluation and validation is done by groups other than the prime contractor.
|
From page 107... ...
Although EOSDIS appears to receive substantial attention from management at NASA Headquarters, in the panel's view, EOSDIS lacks the attention of senior management at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The EOS Project is the largest single development effort the Goddard Center has undertaken.
|
From page 108... ...
The panel recommends that the EOSDIS Project use the award fee process to best advantage through greater differentiation of success and failure criteria for evaluating contractor performance and by involving users in determining award fees. Scientific Involvement at Goddard Space Flight Center.
|
From page 109... ...
These teams should evaluate EOSDIS planning and implementation, including architecture, DAAC interface definitions, and other deliverables essential to ensuring that the DAACs will be responsive to user needs and that the EOSDIS system will be interoperable. In accomplishing these tasks, the teams should monitor the contractor's activities on behalf of user communities and prepare test data sets to verify system interfaces.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.