host posted on November 04, 2009 16:30
CHALLENGE
NPP, a risk reduction mission for NPOESS, will be the first major element of the next generation U.S. Earth observation system. NPP science instruments will provide essential climate measurements to bridge the data gap between the end of the current NASA’s Earth Observation System and the future operational NPOESS system planned for launch in 2013. NPOESS is the U.S. Government’s weather and environmental satellite system, which will combine missions currently performed separately by three agencies (NASA, DOD and NOAA).
NASA needed a low cost reliable science data system for NPP that could interface with disparate agency networks, generate data in new formats, exchange data with other agencies, provide data in near real-time, improve data quality and provide access to remote scientists and legacy systems.
SOLUTION
INNOVIM took the lead in facilitating interagency working groups and developed an enterprise framework and operations concept to meet the requirements of the diverse users. INNOVIM forged a consensus between the various agencies in the process of conducting trade-off studies and developing the solution.
The solution reuses mission-critical software and employs proven mission-critical hardware components. New software was developed around the J2EE platform. A Web services architecture provides interface to Land, Ocean, Ozone, Clouds/Aerosol and Sounder scientists. New data formats such as the HDF5 are incorporated into the design. New data visualization features enable users to optimize use of data by providing a capability to view graphical granules.
The solution implemented by INNOVIM performs data capture, data archival, data distribution, provides customer and monitoring/reporting services. Calibration, algorithm improvement and algorithm release functions are enabled as the system exchanges information with the following elements:
- Instrument Calibration Support
- Integration and Test
- Project Science Office
BENEFITS
NASA has received a low cost solution with minimal schedule and performance risk. The architecture, hardware and software components/development efforts developed by INNOVIM has undergone successful testing with various scientists, the IDPS and CLASS. Most components of the open, scalable and high availability system can be readily accommodated in science data processing systems for future missions.