NASA Applied Sciences: An Example from the

Agricultural Efficiency Program Element

Ed SheffnerEarth Science DivisionNASA Headquarters

IGARSS WorkshopJuly 30, 2006

Topics

• Summary of current NASA organization

and strategic plan.

• Key elements in the approach of the

Applied Sciences Program.

• The NASA collaboration with FAS as an

example of the approach.

NASA is a research and development agency formed in 1958 with responsibility for all US government, non-military aeronautic and space activities. Agency objectives (from 1958):– Expansion of knowledge of atmospheric phenomena;

– Development and operation of vehicles carrying instruments in space;

– Establishment of long range studies of the potential benefits accrued through the utilization of space for scientific purposes;

– Assurance of US leadership in space science and technology and the application of that technology in peaceful activities “within and outside the atmosphere”; and,

– Cooperation with other nations in the pursuit of peaceful application of

NASA developed technology.

NASA Strategic Goals*

1. Fly the Shuttle as safely as possible until its retirement, not later than 2010.

2. Complete the International Space Station in a manner consistent with NASA’s international partner commitments and the need of human exploration.

3. Develop a balanced overall program of science, exploration, and aeronautics consistent with the redirection of the human spaceflight program to focus on exploration.

4. Bring a Crew Exploration Vehicle into service as soon as possible after Shuttle retirement.

5. Encourage the pursuit of appropriate partnerships with the emerging commercial space sector.

6. Establish a lunar return program having the maximum possible utility for later missions to Mars and other destinations.

*NASA 2006 Strategic Plan

NASA Organization

Four Mission Directorates– Aeronautics– Exploration Systems– Space Operations– Science (four divisions)

• Earth Science– Flight/missions– Research– Applied Sciences

• Heliophysics• Planetary Science• Astrophysics

Strategic Goal #3

A. Study Earth from space to advance scientific understanding and meet societal needs.

B. Understand the Sun and its effects on Earth and the solar system.

C. Advance scientific knowledge of the origin and history of the solar system, the potential for life elsewhere, and the hazards and resources present as humans explore space.

D. Discover the origin, structure, evolution and destiny of the universe, and search for Earth-like planets.

E. Advance knowledge in the fundamental disciplines of aeronautics, and develop technologies for safer aircraft and higher capacity airspace systems.

F. Understand the effects of the space environment on human performance, and test new technologies and countermeasures for long duration space exploration.

Approach of the Applied Sciences Program

• Draw upon NASA Earth Science capabilities: observations, measurements and predictive models.

• Draw upon NASA Earth science research results.

• Extend NASA capabilities and results to maximize the return-on-investment by addressing issues with substantial social and economic benefits.

Approach Elements of Applied Sciences Program (cont.)

• Select projects through open, competitive solicitations.

• Use existing infrastructure for data archiving, distribution and product generation.

• Define projects, and identify decision support tools, through partnerships with organizations with operational responsibilities.

Approach Elements of Applied Sciences Program (cont.)

• Program processes:

– Solutions networks (identification)

– Rapid prototyping (evaluation)

– Integrated systems solutions

(implementation)

Solutions Networks:

Consider the results from NASA funded research in the six science focus areas of the Earth Science Division:

- Atmospheric composition- Carbon cycle and ecosystems - Climate variability and change- Earth surface and interior- Water and energy cycle- Weather

Identify potential improvements in the decision support tools within the portfolio of projects in the Applied Sciences Program.

Rapid Prototyping:

Use specific research results in simulated operational environments to evaluate components and/or configurations for integrated systems solutions with the specific decision support tools within the portfolio of projects in the Applied Sciences Program.

Integrated System Solution:

A rigorous systems engineering process that:

• describes (evaluates) the state of a decision support tool/system,

• verifies and validates new data products and other enhancements

in the decision making process, and, • benchmarks the performance of the assimilation of NASA research results and capabilities in the decision making process.

What the Applied Sciences Program Prefers Not to Do

• Develop new algorithms

• Create new decision support tools

• Long term support for infrastructure

• Provide support for operational activities

• Fund the research of other agencies

The Program may participate in projects in which these activities occur, but those tasks will be supported by someone other than NASA, e.g., the user/partner.

Current NASAEarth Observing Systems

Aqua* AuraCALIPSO CloudsatCHAMP Cluster (with ESA)EO-1* FASTGeotail (with Japan GOES-M*GRACE* ICESat*JASON-1* Landsat-7*NOAA-M(POES) PolarQuickSCAT SAGE III (with Russia)SeaWinds* (with Japan) SORCETERRA* TIMEDTRMM* (with Japan)

*Land observations

Planned NASAEarth Observing Systems

Aquarius (2009)

GPM* (2010)

LDCM* (under review)

NPP* (under review)

NPOESS* (under review)

OSTM (2008)

OCO (2008)

*Land observations

Agricultural EfficiencyIntegrated Systems Solution

Observations

Observations

Land:Aqua, Terra, Landsat 7, SRTM, NPP, NPOESS, AquariusAtmosphere: TRMM, GPMOcean: SeaWIFS, Quikscat, Aqua

Agricultural Meteorological Model: AGRMET 2 Layer Soil Moisture Models: Crop Models: CERES, AGRISTARS, Mass, URCROP, Sinclair

Early warning of problems in major agricultural commodities Reduction in production costs. Better seasonal yield estimates Early warning of food shortages

Data

DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS

Observations

VALUE & BENEFITS

EARTH SYSTEM MODELS

OBSERVATIONS and MEASUREMENTS

Predictions

DRAFT- 2/04

*Future Mission

*Supported Non-NASA Model

• PECAD/CADRE (Crop Assessment Data Retrieval & Evaluation)

•Land: Aqua, Terra, Landsat 7, SRTM, TOPEX, JASON-1, NPP, NPOESS, HYDROS

•Atmosphere: TRMM, OCO, GPM

•Ocean: SeaWIFS, Quikscat, Aqua, Aquarius,

• Agricultural Meteorological Model: AGRMET

• 2 Layer Soil Moisture Model:

• Crop Models: CERES, AGRISTARS, Mass, URCROP, Sinclair

• 12 Month Global Seasonal Surface Temperature/ Soil Moisture/ Precipitation Forecast

• Crop maturity

• Crop yield

• Water availability • Generated time series graphs for rainfall, temperature , and soil moisture

• Multi-year time series/ crop comparisons

• Vegetation anomaly detection

• Automated web products

• Better assessments of early season production outlook

• Better seasonal yield estimates

• Faster response to major events during the season, e.g., floods or droughts

• Greater economic security for agriculture sector

• Biomass• Land Cover/ Use• Land Surface Topog.

• Ocean Surface Currents• Global Precipitation• Soil Moisture• Reservoir level• Evapotranspiration• Radiation

Agricultural EfficiencyGlobal Agricultural Production Assessments

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Aqua

Outcomes: New source of precipitation, land cover and

available water data offering more comprehensive knowledge base for

in-season crop monitoring

Impacts: More accurate and timely drought

monitoring. Enhanced prediction of yield

Outcomes: New tools for analysts to exploit enhanced system capability for

region-specific modeling and prediction

Impacts: More accurate production estimates

Impacts: More accurate crop

assessments based on new operational

capabilities

Outcomes: Better

information on hot spots

Impacts: Long-term operational

sustainability that exploits all available

systems

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Enhanced DSS integrating new generation image products, precip. data, and crop and weather models for more accurate crop production

assessments

Outcomes: New tools to exploit enhanced capability for region-specific

modeling and prediction. Ability to compare new data to archive

Current 20122008 2010200601/12/06

Evaluate, via data simulations, new data sources (OCO, Aquarius,) on predictive capabilities and production estimates.

New MODIS-based vegetation, ET, and TRMM products for CADRE database and crop models. Transition to VIIRS

Transition to VIIRS/NPP, and other new data sources as they come on-line. Integrate NASA model output into DST.

Transition to NPOESS with cross calibration to legacy systems. Integrated system to ingest data from wide variety of commercial high-resolution systems.

NPOESSGPMNPPTerra Aqua

Lsat 5,7 TRMM

AquariusOCO Jason-1

TOPEX

LDCM

NASA Collaboration with FAS

• Based on three projects selected through competitive solicitations:– Univ. of Maryland (Justice): Integration of MODIS

land observation products – NASA/Goddard (Kempler): Integration of rainfall and

soil moisture products– UMD/GSFC (Birkett): Reservoir height for water

availability.

• These products contribute to the “convergence of evidence” approach used by FAS to generate monthly production and yield estimates.

PECAD/CADRE Data & Information Requirements and Data Sources

• Hydrologic data (rainfall, soil moisture):- WMO station data- TRMM, AMSR

• Inter–annual crop phenology: - AVHRR: GIMMS

- MODIS• Crop identification & within season crop phenology:

- Landsat, SPOT, IKONOS- MODIS Rapid Response

• Stored water availability:- TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1 radar altimeters

• Economic information:- In country observations- Published reports

Earth Observation SystemsSPOT VEG/HRVTRMMJason-1 & Topex/PoseidonMODISVIIRSLandsatALI/HyperionGPM

Earth System ModelsSoil moisture (Modified Palmer, Penman-Monteith) Crop yield/stage (Robertson BMTS, EPIC, Hanway, and others)Hazard models (Winter kill and others)US Air Force weather (AGRMET)

Predictions/Forecasts

National and sub-national yield forecast (grains, oil seeds, cotton and rice) Condition forecasts

Observations, Parameters

and Products

NDVI Rainfall Land use Reservoir height Soil moisture Weather Crop condition

Decision Support Tools

PECAD/CADRE Famine Early Warning

Societal Benefit Areas

Global Commodity Forecast, Mitigate climate change, Disaster response

NASA transfers technology to the user community through partnerships and an

“integrated systems solution” model.

NASA/FAS partnership

Contact Information:

Ed Sheffner

edwin.j.sheffner@nasa.gov

202-358-0239