Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations (2003) / Chapter Skim
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5. Pathways from Research to Operations
5. Pathways from Research to Operations
Pages 43-65
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From page 43... ...
but have been faced with "too many degrees of freedom" in trying to match the NASA research and NOAA operational programs as a whole.2 In the past 10 years, NASA has focused on climate monitoring and, consequently, separated itself to some extent from its h istorical role of transition i ng 1 For example, the 2001 NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service) Strategic Plan includes the following Objective 1.6: "Take advantage of opportunities for transition of remote-sensing technology developed by NASA for research that meets NOAA's operational needs" (NOAA, 2001d)
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Throughout all of these cases, the need for oversight at the highest levels of the transition process cannot be overemphasized. From these case studies, some general conclusions about transition pathways and their associated processes can be drawn.
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Lightning detection No transition pathway was established, in part because there was insufficient push from from space the research community and pull from the operational community. As a technology advances past a proof-of-concept stage, there should be a parallel investment made to determine its viability for use by either direct or intermediate users, to push the development of an operational requirement for the proven technology.
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Test beds such as the NASA-NOAA Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation can play a significant, positive role in speeding the transition of research to operations. Notwithstanding successful exploitation of scatterometer data by meteorological researchers and operational use of scatterometer measurements (acquired by both U.S.
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Toward the end of the transition pathway, test beds would demonstrate the use of the research data in near real time, evaluate their operational impact, and provide feedback to the researchers. After a demonstration of positive impact, future operational missions would produce the data in real time, and operational centers and other users would incorporate the new data into their operations, completing the transition pathway.
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represents another important resource that factors in to both opportunities and obstacles to transition. TRANSITION CHALLENGES As with any complex process, transition pathways from research to operations and applications are characterized by a variety of challenges and potential barriers.
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The limiting factor in transitioning research to operations can be inadequate scientific understanding or the difficulty of extending scientific understanding and/or technological capability to operational utility. There may be limits to the observing technologies, to the understanding of how to use the observations effectively (as in the case study of the infrared sounder)
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algorithm and data product improvements, (3) NASA systematic measurements that transition to NOAA
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. Since 1982, there has been a formalized upgrade process for supporting NOAA sensor capability, primarily for the polar and geostationary satellite systems.
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The direct use of the sensor records by the operational numerical models has only been a recent (last decade) development, after more than 30 years of satellite data availability.
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This demonstration should include the development of the appropriate algorithms, data-assimilation schemes, or other data products, to the point that soon after launch, the data can be used in days to weeks, not months to years by either the direct or the intermediate users. Therefore, a critical element in the transition of research capabilities to operational use is the development not only of the retrieval schemes to produce EDRs, but also of the assimilation methods for the proposed sensor data.
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NASA Exploratory Measurements to NOAA Operational Measurements NASA's Office of Earth Science has flown many exploratory missions that are candidates for transition to operational status. Within the past 5 years, NASA has focused on the ESSP program as the source of exploratory missions.
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While peer-reviewed selection is certainly appropriate for ESSP and similar NASA missions, the uncertainty associated with determining which measurement proposals will be selected makes planning by NOAA difficult. In summary, this fourth transition type NASA exploratory measurements to NOAA operational measurements is limited by a lack of clear, agreed-upon objectives and adequate procedures to define an efficient transition pathway.
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Department of Defense The Department of Defense operates under a rigorous transition process based on operational requirements. The process is structured in a manner intended to optimize the formal definition of needs while maintaining a legally mandated armslength relationship between acquisition and operations.
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Thus, there must be some allowance for taking research risks in areas that are indirectly related to immediate operational requirements. Notwithstanding this robust process for connecting basic research with operational requirements, there is a potential downside.
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ECMWF has developed a well-defined pathway for transitioning research capabilities and data sources to operational status.42 The center uses a trial-model approach in which new data sources or capabilities can be evaluated through comparison with the same model without the trial data or algorithms. ECMWF makes less of a distinction between research and operations than is done in the United States, and is willing to incorporate research-quality data into operational systems before a thorough operational need or performance enhancement has been demonstrated.
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Integrated Program Office (IPO) Presidential Decision Directive NSTC-2 (1 994)
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TRENDS AND CHANGES IN TRANSITION PROCESSES NASA and NOAA are taking a variety of actions to improve the current transition pathways. NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service has been reevaluating the architectures and requirements process for the entire meteorological observing system.13 This effort is driven in part by the nearterm need for requirements that support procurement of the GOES-R series.
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would allow a steady infusion of new observing capabilities into operational satellites. Finally, coupled with the continuous validation of new instrument technologies, there is a need for applied research units at operational numerical prediction centers or associated test beds, which have the mission and capabilities to demonstrate the utility of the new observing technologies.
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62 Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment
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Pathways from Research to Operations 63
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There is no well-defined agreement regarding which NASA systematic measurements will be transitioned to NOAA and which NOAA operational measurements require NASA research precursors. There is also no formal NOAA process in place to identify requirements for which NASA research measurements would be beneficial (although the committee is aware of efforts in NOAA toward the development of a strategic plan, including mechanisms to identify operational and policy requirements)
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Pathways from Research to Operations operations transition is likely to continue to be characterized as "passing issues over the wall," with operational needs and research capabilities planned and executed largely independently of each other. Thus, although NASA and NOAA desire a smooth transition of research to operations, the current environment is characterized by the lack of an overarch i ng mechan ism to ensure that transitions benefit from a common process and are, in general, efficient and effective.
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