A Proposal to Update LRIT to Provide Reliable Rebroadcast Tool for GOES DCS Information Update for TWG Kay Metcalf NOAA GOES DCS Program Manager May 12, 2011

May 2011NOAA GOES DCS2 GOES DCS Rebroadcast Currently Provided through Commercial DOMSAT contract Has Worked Well for Many years but has become logistically cumbersome –Contract Mechanism to Encourage Free and Open Competition Makes it Difficult to Manage User Transitions Required Requiring Technology Continuity Restricts Competition to only one vendor –Coverage Restricted to Continental U.S. –Cost otherwise would most likely be prohibitive –Vendor currently providing more coverage, but is “at will” Could be changed at any time because contract does not require hemispheric coverage –Exchanging fund between government agencies to fund contract has become very difficult

May 2011NOAA GOES DCS3 DOMSAT Status Final Option Year of DOMSAT contract exercised Beginning new one year bridge contract –Paperwork in progress 2011 (Sept) funded by NOS, USGS, BLM, BR and USACE –MOU’s set up for BLM and USACE (amendments in progress) –MOU in progress for BR –USGS made “quid pro quo” arrangement with NOS –NOS funds directly tapped through procurement documents (means no MOU required) –NESDIS (Kay’s office) providing $12k NESDIS will combine all DOMSAT service contracts for 5 year follow on contract Suggested Changes to LRIT makes it viable replacement

Low Rate Information Transfer (LRIT) GOES Rebroadcast of NESDIS products –Primary Function to provide user access to NESDIS satellite products at low cost –“Packetized format” Information Packaged in Small Files –GOES DCS Rebroadcast Provided to provide low cost reception of data to platform owners Products created at NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) in Suitland, MD Transferred to WCDA via land lines Transmitted to satellite at Wallops Nov-2010NOAA GOES DCS4

GOES DCS Into LRIT Uses an LRGS client with username “LRIT” –Originally implemented because DAPS code could not be modified –LRGS located at Wallops –LRGS user makes request to WCDA for data every 30 seconds –File created and transferred to LRIT system in Suitland –Inserted into LRIT stream at Suitland LRIT stream transferred to WCDA Infamous “double hop” Nov-2010NOAA GOES DCS5

Vulnerabilities Priority assignments could provide conflicts when system fully loaded (not seen yet) –Currently DCS Random has Priority “1” –Regular DCS has Priority “2” –Must be integrated with standard LRIT data stream (i.e. images) LRGS is separate process for technical staff to monitor Interfaces unclear –Sometimes WCDA thinks LRIT is down –Sometimes LRIT technicians think “DCS” is down –An extra step for technicians to remember Manual restart process required in case of nonstandard actions like reboot Nov-2010NOAA GOES DCS6

Recommendation for DCS Insert into LRIT DADDS is DCS Standard Distribution System LRIT stream similar to DOMSAT and NWSTG streams Provide “spicket” to feed LRIT from DADDS ADVANTAGES: –Only one platform to maintain –Only one process to restart DADDS from NSOF insert DCS into LRIT Backup LRIT at WCDA can be fed by WCDA DADDS –IF LRIT at NSOF goes down WCDA will pick up operations May 2011NOAA GOES DCS7

Recommendation to Remedy Priority Concerns LRIT system on GOES-R renamed “HRIT/EMWIN” –Data rate faster so “High Rate” instead of “Low Rate” –Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) stream combined Proposal to GOES-R from LRIT, EMWIN and DCS programs: –Provide virtual channels for each service HRIT will have one stream EMWIN will have one stream DCS Rebroadcast will have one stream Each service given channels based on predefined bandwidth Priorities for each service will be determined within those bands by the program (DCS will define priorities for their portion of uplink, etc.) May 2011NOAA GOES DCS8

Status of GOES-R Proposal Integrated Product Team (IPT) formed Initial discussions begin Funding not yet Confirmed to Build Ground System Nov-2010NOAA GOES DCS9

NEXT Steps for DCS Closely monitor HRIT/EMWIN Discussions –DCS team members on IPT Close to Decision within a few months Begin Analysis of Changes Required for Receivers Quickly –High hopes that not many changes required Continue Existing DOMSAT contract for 5 years to allow time for Transition Nov-2010NOAA GOES DCS10