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Ground Systems |
GSD Functions:
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Provide expertise in satellite ground systems design with emphasis in telemetry and command, instrument data processing, image display and analysis, product generation, data archiving, communications, and associated ground equipment, infrastructure and facilities |
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Plan ground system activities leading to new satellite systems, including the introduction of significant new services and products from Research-to-Operations and International satellite missions |
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Evaluate new technologies for satisfying current and future ground systems requirements, from raw data capture through distribution of products to users |
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Lead ground systems development efforts including specifying, procuring, installing, and testing NESDIS hardware and software systems resulting from requirements generated during system planning activities. |
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Work directly with OSPO, OSO, NASA and other agencies to ensure compatibility of future satellites with existing and future ground systems |
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Provide support to the Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) and the Center for SaTellite Applications and Research (STAR) for Information Technology refresh and enhancement projects |
Projects:
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Ground systems antennas, Low Earth Orbiting Tracker (LEO-T) or Geostationary Tracker (GT), are the quintessential element of the NOAA NESDIS infrastructure. All command data to and sensing data from every satellite mission pass through this critical part of the ground system. The NOAA NESDIS antenna infrastructure includes 12 LEO-T, 14 GT, and 12 Fixed positioned. At the present time 6 new GT are planned for GOES-R and 3 Fixed to support the GOES DCS. Over time NOAA NESDIS has decommissioned over twenty antennas of the past forty years. The NOAA NESDIS antennas range in size from 1.2M to 26M in diameter. |
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The Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) located at Wallops, Virginia was developed and commissioned to serve as an emergency satellite data processing and distribution facility in the event of a natural or man-made disaster at the primary Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC) located at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) |
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The Space Weather (SP WX) effort involves the transition of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and GOES NOP satellite space weather ground processing systems from the NWS Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder to OSDPD. Such satellite measurements provide early warning of extreme solar events that can cause worldwide disruption of communications and power grids. The processed data will be provided back to SWPC as input into space weather forecast models. |
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The GOES-R Access System (GAS) is being developed by GSD under the ESPDS contract in support of the GOES-R Project. It will serve as the primary data access and distribution system for users of the data products generated by the GOES-R ground system. GAS will evolve into an enterprise Product Distribution and Access (PDA) solution that will incorporate the requirements of NPP, JPSS and other new missions as well as legacy NESDIS polar and geostationary satellites. |
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Activities focus on planning and execution of IT refresh and sustaining engineering for the front-end (raw data capture through generation of Level 1B data) ground systems supporting the current generation of NOAA geostationary (GOES) satellites. This includes the infrastructure and facilities at both the Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC) in Suitland, MD and the Command and Data Acquisition (CDA) site at Wallops, VA, as well as the COOP backup sites at WBU, Greenbelt, MD and Fairbanks, AK (FCDAS). This project is currently transitioning to the GOES-R Program. |
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The GOES Data Collection System (DCS) is a communications relay system that uses the GOES spacecraft to relay observed data transmitted from automated land, sea, or mobile-based observational platforms to properly equipped ground receive stations within the GOES area of reception. This project is currently transitioning to the GOES-R Program. |
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The Jason-3 mission is a follow-on to the successful Ocean Surface Topography Mission Jason-2 mission for the measurement of sea surface altimetry on a continuous and near real-time basis. GSD is currently engaged in planning for the joint NOAA-CNES support of Jason-3 using an operations concept similar to that employed for Jason-2. |
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Activities focus on planning and execution of IT refresh and sustaining engineering for the front-end (raw data capture through generation of Level 0 data) ground systems supporting the current generation of NOAA polar-orbiting (POES) satellites. This includes the infrastructure and facilities at both the Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC) in Suitland, MD as well as the Command and Data Acquisition (CDA) sites at Wallops, VA and Fairbanks, AK. |
