The NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture (NSOSA) Study

The NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture (NSOSA) Study

- St. Germain, F. W. Gallagher III, and K. Becker

NOAA / NESDIS - Office of System Architecture and Advanced Planning

- Maier and P. Jasper

The Aerospace Corporation

Abstract

NOAA has conducted a study, the NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture (NSOSA) study, to plan for the future operational environmental satellite system that will follow GOES-R and JPSS, beginning about 2030. This is an opportunity to design a modern architecture with no pre-conceived notions regarding instruments, platforms, orbits, etc., but driven by user needs, new technology, and exploiting emerging space business models. The NSOSA study team has developed and evaluated nearly 150 architecture alternatives, to include partner and commercial contributions that are likely to become available. The measurement objectives include both functional needs and strategic characteristics (e.g., resiliency, flexibility, responsiveness, sustainability). By scoring the performance of the architecture alternatives against these objectives and costing each alternative, the NSOSA study provided NOAA with a quantitative cost-benefit analysis of future architecture options to support future decisions.

This paper will describe an overview of the three primary legs of the study: Value model development, future instrument catalog development, and constellation design. The paper will conclude with promising opportunities for providing greater performance at lower cost identified in the study and other selected lessons learned.

The value modeling discussion will describe development of the model used to score the individual constellations based on how well those constellations are expected to meet projected environmental data collection needs in the 2030-2050 timeframe. The instrument catalog contains a comprehensive collection of concepts for terrestrial and space weather observation instruments exploiting technology projected to be available circa 2030. As part of the study the team carried out conceptual design of approximately 65 specific satellite configuration concepts, including geostationary, small and large LEO, and space weather systems, that were the building blocks for the architecture alternatives. The paper will show the efficient frontier for promising weather satellite constellations, example high-performing alternatives, opportunities illuminated by the study analysis, and lessons learned from several deeper studies on specific topics such as space weather and hosted payloads.