Components of a Future Global System for Earth Observation

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Strategic Principles: Observing Programs

• Design flexibility, agility and stability into the integrated global observing system

• Pursue new vantage points for global observation

• Continue shift from mission emphasis to measurement emphasis to achieve continuity for systematic measurement

• Pursue advanced technologies off-line from mission development

• Improve national operational observing systems with new technology

• Integrate new or unique suborbital platforms into the set of assets available for scientific observation

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• Comprehensive: meeting the needs of a variety of science and applications disciplines

• Coordinated: multinational satellite, suborbital and in situ observing capabilities strategically coordinated via agreed standards and data exchange

• Sustained: long-term, continued financial and in-kind support from funding authorities

An international comprehensive, coordinated and sustained Earth observation system

A Shared Vision for Earth ObservationArticulated by 34 Nations in an Earth Observation Summit (July 31, 2003)

Group onEarth bservations

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NASA’s ESE Suborbital Science Program

• In-situ sampling or high spatial and temporal resolution for in-depth investigations of Earth system phenomena, and multi-scale studies.

• Opportunities to test new remote-sensing technologies, calibrate space-based observations, and develop & validate remote-sensing retrieval algorithms.

Connecting local/regional events with the global Earth System

Internal Structure of Hurricane Bonnie

from NASA research aircraft

Hurricane winds as an ocean anomaly from QuikSCAT

Hurricane size and landfall observation from GOES

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SOLVE in Sweden Dec 99

How can we move from Today’s Suborbital Program to the Future Observing System?

AMSR Validation in Japan Dec 2002 CRYSTAL-FACE in Florida Aug 2002

SOLVE II in Sweden Jan03

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Why Change?

• Unprecedented constellation of orbital assets• International & interagency commitment to integrated

global observing system• New technologies exploit new vantage points• Growing commercial remote sensing industry can supply

what only NASA could in the past• Progress in civil aeronautics enables other agencies to

provide geoscience research aircraft routinely• Constraints on federal resources for earth observation• NASA Vision/Mission emphasizes agency’s access to

space and aerospace technology capabilities

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A New Program Implementation Strategy

• Achieve versatility and flexibility through – Catalog of short-term rentals for traditional capabilities (30%);

– Long-term (e.g. 5 yrs) leases of new platforms to operationalize new suborbital observing capabilities (30%);

– Pathfinder suborbital missions to continually solicit new ideas (30%);

– New technology insertion plans to develop new capabilities and guide investments in new leased platforms, leveraging partnerships with ESTO and Code R(10%).

• Science Steering Group to keep program vital and aligned.

Technology pathfinder for research and operational Earth science agencies

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Transition Planning

• 4 years of reduced operations/higher fees with traditional platforms.

• Develop new business models with commercial, university, and/or interagency partners to operate established platforms.

• Invest in enabling technologies with technology program partners, e.g. Aeronautics Technology Enterprise’s Access 5 Program for new platforms, and common sensor accommodations to enable portability between platforms.

• Develop new suborbital science missions of the future through solicitations and workshops.

• Foster use of experimental platforms (Aerosonde, Proteus, Altair, GlobalHawk) through innovative partnerships and procurements.