NOAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program Overview

Transcription

1 NOAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program Overview AUVSI Pathfinder Symposium March 2015 Presented by: John Walker Cherokee Nation Technologies in support of NOAA UAS Program Office

2 NOAA UAS Program Vision and Key Roles Vision UAS observations will become an essential component of the NOAA observing system Key Roles Serve as the NOAA subject matter experts for UAS technology and observations Assist with the research, development, demonstration and transition to application of select UAS observing strategies 2

3 UAS Program Science Focus Areas High Impact Weather Can UAS observations enable improved forecasts, scientific understanding and decision support? Marine Can UAS observations provide reliable, timely and affordable environmental intelligence information for resilient coastal communities and healthy oceans? Polar Can UAS observations contribute to NOAA S Arctic vision and strategy? 3

4 Observing Strategies by Fixed Wing UAS Capabilities and Science Focus Area UAS Platform High Impact Weather Marine Polar HALE Oceanic storm vertical meteorological profiles Ocean storm surface winds / rain High altitude air quality DEVELOPMENT Arctic weather vertical meteorological profiles Arctic high altitude air quality Sea Ice surveys MALE Flood aerial surveys Continental storm damage assessment - Maritime enforcement surveys Wildlife surveys Coastal gravity observations Flood aerial surveys LALE Continental storm in situ observations Continental storm damage assessment Wildlife assessments Sea ice surveys Arctic weather in situ observations Arctic in situ air quality DEVELOPMENT Arctic icing weather observations Wildlife assessments LASE Flood aerial surveys DEVELOPMENT Flood digital elevation mapping Continental storm in situ observations Maritime enforcement surveys Maritime oil spill aerial surveys Maritime oil spill response imagery Marine debris response imagery Wildlife aerial surveys Sea ice aerial surveys for ships Arctic oil spill aerial surveys Continental storm damage assessment Coastal digital elevation mapping 4 4

5 Observing Strategies by Other Unmanned Capabilities and Science Focus Area UAS Platform High Impact Weather Marine Polar VTOL Continental storms in situ meteorological observations Air quality in situ observations Maritime oil spill response imagery Wildlife assessments Wildlife assessments ACL Oceanic storm low altitude in situ meteorological observations BL Air quality vertical profiles Arctic air quality vertical profiles SMUV DEVELOPMENT Oceanic storm low altitude in situ meteorological observations DEVELOPMENT Maritime assessments Wildlife assessments Coastal assessments TB Maritime assessments Arctic maritime assessments 5 5

6 NOAA UAS Program Ideas Under Development New observational CONOPS In the works Targeted Autonomous In-situ Sensing and Rapid Response (TAISRR) 0 6

7 NOAA UAS TAISRR Schematic 7

8 NOAA UAS TAISRR Schematic Phase 1: VTOL Network Phase 2: Fixed Wing Fleet 8

9 NOAA UAS TAISRR Schematic CAL/VAL Sites Phase 1: VTOL Network Phase 2: Fixed Wing Fleet 9

10 NOAA UAS TAISRR Objectives Objective #1: Obtain high temporal/spatial resolution Meteorological Observations of lower atmosphere (emphasis on the planetary boundary layer)! Near real-time operational forecaster Decision Support System (DSS) examination! Input for high-resolution Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) forecast models Objective #2: Obtain high temporal/spatial resolution Air Quality Observations of lower atmosphere for improved analysis and transport/dispersion forecasting Objective #3: Rapid Response surveillance / Storm Damage Assessment 10

11 NOAA UAS TAISRR Objectives Objective #1: Meteorological Observations Current Upper Air Observation Network -Full Tropospheric Soundings -BUT Sparse network -AND Usually only 2x per day! 11

12 NOAA UAS TAISRR Objectives Objective #1: Meteorological Observations Current Upper Air Observation Network Very Sparse Coverage! -Full Tropospheric Soundings -BUT Sparse network -AND Usually only 2x per day! 12

13 NOAA UAS TAISRR Objectives Objective #1: Meteorological Observations Current Upper Air Observation Network Picket Fence Regional Network: Central Tennessee Valley Example -Full Tropospheric Soundings -BUT Sparse network -AND Usually only 2x per day! -Lower 1/2 Tropospheric Soundings -BUT Dense network -AND Frequency > 1x per hour! 13

14 NOAA UAS TAISRR Objectives Objective #2: Air Quality Observations! Focus on observing concentrations of pollution in the lower atmosphere.! Combine in-situ observations with information retrieved from the NASA Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) geostationary satellite, which is set to launch around 2017 Synergistically capitalize on the accuracy of local in-situ UAS-based air quality measurements with the broader regional coverage of TEMPO retrievals. 14

15 NOAA UAS TAISRR Objectives Objective #3: Rapid Response / Storm Damage Assessment Aerial photo showing the remains of homes hit by a massive tornado in Moore, OK on May 20, (AP Photo/Steve Gooch) / AP 15

16 NOAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program Overview Questions? 0 Contact Information: Robbie Hood: Robbie.Hood@noaa.gov JC Coffey: John.J.Coffey@noaa.gov John Walker: John.R.Walker@noaa.gov 16