developing technology for nasa earth science technology strategy panel, 50 th goddard memorial...

Developing Technology for NASA Earth ScienceTechnology Strategy Panel, 50th Goddard Memorial Symposium

March 28, 2012Robert Bauer

Deputy Director

Earth Science Technology Office

• Earth Science at NASA

• Earth Science Technology Program

• Incorporating Strategic Direction

• Technology Challenges

• Conclusions

Topics

2

Earth Science at NASA

• Overarching goal: to advance Earth System science, including climate studies, through spaceborne data acquisition, research and analysis, and predictive modeling

• Six major activities:• Building and operating Earth observing satellite missions, many

with international and interagency partners• Making high-quality data products available to the broad

science community• Conducting and sponsoring cutting-edge research

– Field campaigns to complement satellite measurements– Analyses of non-NASA mission data– Modeling

• Applied Science • Developing technologies to improve Earth observation

capabilities• Education and Public Outreach

3

NASA Earth Science Major Operating Satellites

Science Areas and Measurements

Atmospheric Water Vapor

River Stage Height

Water & Energy Cycle

Land Surface Topography

Surface Deformation

Terrestrial Reference Frame

Earth Surface & Interior

Biomass

Vegetation Canopy

Fuel Quality & Quantity

CO2 & Methane

Trace Gas Sources

Land Cover & Use

Terrestrial & Marine Productivity

Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems

Aerosol Properties

Total Aerosol Amount

Cloud Particle Properties

Cloud System Structure

Ozone Vertical Profile & Total Column Ozone

Surface Gas Concentrates

Atmospheric Composition

Tropospheric Winds

Atmospheric Temperature and Water Vapor

Cloud Particle Properties

Cloud System Structure

Storm Cell Properties

Weather

Ocean Surface Currents

Deep Ocean Circulation

Sea Ice Thickness

Ice Surface Topography

Climate Variability

5

The Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) is a science-driven, competed, actively managed technology program.

Competitive, peer-reviewed proposals enable selection of best-of-class technology investments that retire risk before major dollars are invested: a cost-effective approach to technology development and validation.

ESTO investment elements include:

Observation Technologies:

Advanced Component Technologies (ACT) provides development of critical component and subsystem technologies for instruments and platforms

Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) provides robust new instruments and measurement techniques

Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) provides innovative on-orbit and ground capabilities for communication, processing, and management of remotely sensed data and the efficient generation of data products and knowledge

Information Technologies:

Earth Science Technology: Program Elements

6

NASA Earth Science Decadal Survey Missions

Climate Absolute

Radiance and Refractivity

Observatory (CLARREO)

Ice, Cloud,and land Elevation Satellite II (ICESat-II)

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP)

Deformation, Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics of Ice (Radar)(DESDynI -R)

Gravity Recovery and Climate

Experiment - II (GRACE - II)

Hyperspectral Infrared Imager

(HYSPIRI)

Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions (ASCENDS)

Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT)

Geostationary Coastal and Air

Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE)

Aerosol - Cloud - Ecosystems (ACE)

LIDAR Surface Topography

(LIST)

Precipitation and All-Weather Temperature and Humidity (PATH)

Snow and Cold Land Processes (SCLP)

Three-Dimensional Winds from Space Lidar (3D-Winds)

Global Atmospheric Composition

Mission (GACM)

Pre-Aerosol - Cloud -

Ecosystems (PACE)

Far TermNear Term








(LIST)


Lasers

Single channel lidar

with GPS navigation

and pointing

Multibeam cross-track dual-wavelength lidar

1.57 and 2.06 µm bands, 200m swath

Spatial elevation mapping laser system

Laser satellite-to-satellite interferometer

Coherent and noncoherent hybrid Doppler wind lidar







L-band Radar

Dual-mode X- and Ku-band synthetic aperture radar

Cross-track scanning cloud radar

L-band synthetic Aperture radar

Ku-band near-nadir synthetic aperture radar and Ku-band nadir-looking radar altimeter

Radars


Climate Absolute




(HYSPIRI)





(LIST)


Mission (GACM)


Ecosystems (PACE)

Passive Optics

Multispectral polarimetric imager (aerosols); UV to NIR spectrometer (ocean color)

UV to Vis moderate resolution hyperspectral imager; High resolution coastal event imager; and IR CO radiometer

UV to SWIR hyperspectral radiometric imager; IR to

Far IR spectral radiometer

Vis to SWIR hyperpectral imager; Multispectral thermal imager

UV to IR spectrometers






Mission (GACM)

Passive Microwave

L-band radiometer

50 to 183 GHz thinned array radiometer (temp. and humidity)

K and Ka-band radiometers (snow-water equivalent)

Microwave limb sounder (atmospheric chemistry)


Climate Absolute









(HYSPIRI)







(LIST)





Mission (GACM)


Ecosystems (PACE)

Lasers Passive Optics Passive MicrowaveRadars

Upon publication of the Earth Science Decadal Survey in 2007, ESTO investments already supported all 18 of the recommended mission concepts. Since then, ESTO has awarded 107 additional technology projects representing an investment of over $211M directly related to the Earth Science priorities outlined by the Decadal Survey (including AIST11 selections not yet identified below).

Science Driven: Enabling the Earth Science Decadal Survey

Tier I Tier II Tier III

2007 -

2009

2010 -

2011

Instrument Technology Investments

Component Technology Investments

Information Systems Investments – Direct Applicability

Information Systems Investments – Secondary Applicabilityplanned aircraft testing planned balloon testing

(note: component and information systems investments may apply to more than one mission)

CO2 Column Measurement (instrument investments)

Science MeasurementsScience MeasurementsDemonstrations / CampaignsDemonstrations / CampaignsTechnology DevelopmentTechnology Development

1.6 µm CW CO2 Laser SounderDobbs ACT-08

Broadband LidarHeaps IIP-07

2.0 µm Pulsed CO2 DIALIsmail IIP-04, LRRP

Air

bo

rne

Val

idat

ion

sA

irb

orn

e V

alid

atio

ns

2.0 µm CW CO2 Laser SounderMenzies IIP-98, Phillips ACT-08

Ground Demonstration

2010-11 ASCENDS Science Definition Airborne Experiments

ASCENDS Mission

1.6 µm Pulsed CO2 Laser SounderAbshire ATI-99, IIP-04, IIP-07

Key Technology Challenges

Active Remote Sensing Technologies to enable atmospheric, cryospheric and earth

surface measurements

Large Deployables to enable future weather, climate and natural hazards measurements

Intelligent Distributed Systems using advanced communication, on-board processors, autonomous network control, data compression, and high density storage

Information Knowledge Capture through 3-D visualization, holographic memory and seamlessly linked models.

• Atmospheric chemistry using lidar vertical profiles

• Ice cap, glacier, sea ice, and snow characterization using radar and lidar

• Tropospheric vector winds using lidar

• Temperature, water vapor, and precipitation from geostationary orbit

• Soil moisture and sea surface salinity using L-band

• Surface deformation and vegetation using radar

• Long-term weather and climate prediction linking observations to models

• Interconnected sensor webs that share information to enhance observations

Information Knowledge Capture through 3-D visualization, holographic memory and seamlessly linked models.

• Intelligent data fusion to merge multi-mission data

• Discovery tools to extract knowledge from large and complex data sets

• Real time science processing, archiving, and distribution of user products

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Conclusions

The technology strategy for Earth science is driven by scientific guidance.

Technology investments are specifically targeted toward Decadal Survey mission and measurement concepts.

A portfolio of competitively selected awards is reducing risk and improving measurement concepts.

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