NPOESS Status Andrew Heidinger, VIIRS OAT co-chair and Jeff Key NOAA/NESDIS/Office of Research and Applications Madison, Wisconsin July 27, 2006

Baseline NPOESS Products (aka EDRs) pre Nunn-McCurdy

Nunn-McCurdy Impacts on NPOESS The NPOESS budget went from $ 6.5B to $11.5B Because NPOESS is run under DOD procurement procedures, this budget overrun caused a review under the Nunn-McCurdy Act. Defense Department organized a comprehensive review of the program. Defense Department reviewers recommended:  reducing the number of satellites planned from six to four  dropping several climate sensors,  rebidding a contract for a key scientific instrument. The entire NPOESS contract has to be renegotiated with NGST and there may be more changes especially in the EDR generation area. The Integrated Program Office has also been reorganized.

Decision Drivers in Redefining NPOESS Continuity Lower Risk Growth Potential Affordability

5 Justification for Changes: Preserves Weather Forecasting Capability Improvements Afternoon orbit contains advanced imager and advanced sounder to enhance weather forecasting Reliance upon METOP in mid-morning orbit –AVHRR vs VIIRS: preserves some imagery capability –METOP scatterometer and advanced atmospheric sounder enhance operational weather forecasting capability in mid morning orbit No microwave imager/sounder on C1 –METOP scatterometer for ocean winds and waves becomes primary instrument until new imager/sounder is available on C2 Continue reliance on DMSP (SSM/I) for ocean wind speed

Schedule Impacts: pre Nunn-McCurdy F17 F19 F18 F20 F16 F13 M N N’ NPP Metop A Metop B Metop C C1 C2 C3 AM mid-AM PM AQUA Metop D C4 post Nunn-McCurdy CALENDAR YEAR

Post N-M Sensor Manifest 1730 Orbit (C2, C4) 1330 Orbit (C1, C3) 2130 Orbit VIIRS VIIRS Metop  wave imager SARSAT CrIS ATMS SEM OMPS (Nadir) SARSAT A-DCS CERES (C1)

POST N-M Sensor Integration: Non-Manifested Sensors TSIS SESS SESS ERBS ALT APS OMPS (Limb) Information on how these sensors can be manifested will be forthcoming.

Sensor Configuration pre Nunn-McCurdy

Sensor Configuration post Nunn-McCurdy for C1 Worst Case for C1  -wave

Post Nunn McCurdy Sensors (from IPO brief to the SUAG on 20 July 2006) SatelliteNPPC1C2C3C4 LaunchSep Nodal Time VIIRSXXXXX Microwave Imager/Sounder XXX CrISXX X ATMSXX X OMPS NadirXX X SEM (MEPED and TED) X X CERES X SARSAT XXXX ADCS X XX X Non-manifested (Integration only provided for specified orbit) SESS (Aurora, TPS, SEM) NOTE: (SEM replaces MEPS, HEPS, LEPS) XX Survivability Sensor XXXX ERBS X ALT XX TSIS X X OMPS Limb X X APS X Manifested

NOAA Impacts and Mitigation Strategy CMIS: Ocean wind speed and direction –Mitigation: Rely on MetOp and DMSP SEM: Space Environment Monitor (of SESS) –Mitigation: Fly POES operational SEM instrument –Maintain capability on POES APS: Aerosol data for air quality forecasts and role of aerosols in climate; –Mitigation: NASA still to fly first APS in this decade ALT: Characterization of sea surface heights; –Mitigation: Navy developing mitigation plan for altimetry ERBS: provides ability to understand changes in the Earth’s radiation budget –Mitigation: Fly NASA CERES research instrument on C1 TSIS: ability to understand changes in solar irradiance –Not flown on NOAA satellites

Summary of Major N-M Impacts CMIS is gone but a redesigned microwave imager- sounder is planned for C2 21:30 NPOESS satellite is gone and DOD/DOC will rely on the European METOP (AVHRR/IASI/AMSU). NO VIIRS IN MID-AM. OMPS limb-sounder is gone. NPP is delayed until 2010 C1 is delayed until 2013 C5 and C6 are gone. NPOESS will keep space for climate sensors but will not fund their design (similar to instruments of opportunity on the GOES satellites).

Summary NPOESS took a big hit in the N-M review and is a smaller program. Climate instruments may not fly (e.g., CERES, APS). VIIRS technical issues are being solved and it should serve the aviation community well. CrIS should provide improved AIRS performance in some regions and more spectral coverage. Unfortunately, the microwave imager is gone until at least C2 (2016)