SUPPORT FOR THE AIRBORNE TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPER (ATM) SCIENCE MANAGEMENT FOR THE ICESAT GAP-FILLER PROJECT FOR…

Public award description

SUPPORT FOR THE AIRBORNE TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPER (ATM) SCIENCE MANAGEMENT FOR THE ICESAT GAP-FILLER PROJECT FOR THE CRYOSPHERIC SCIENCES BRANCH (CODE 614.1) OF THE HYDROSPHERIC AND BIOSPHERIC SCIENCES LABORATORY (CODE 614). THE NASA ICESAT-1 SATELLITE IS ABOUT TO CEASE OPERATIONS, DUE TO INSTRUMENT LIFETIME PROBLEMS. ICESAT-2 IS NOT DUE TO BE LAUNCHED FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS. VERY RECENTLY NASA HQ HAS DECIDED THAT NASA SHOULD HAVE AN AIRCRAFT GAP-FILLER PROJECT TO PROVIDE THE CRYOSPHERIC SCIENCE COMMUNITY WITH DATA IN THE INTERIM, AND THAT THE NASA ATM INSTRUMENT IS ONE OF THE CRITICAL SENSOR TO PROVIDE THE GAP-FILLER DATA. THE TASKS INVOLVE SUPPORT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE NASA ATM AIRBORNE INSTRUMENT, INCLUDING ON-SITE PARTICIPATION IN THE DEPLOYMENTS TO POLAR REGIONS. THE TASKS ALSO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO PLANNING FOR OUT-YEAR GAP-FILLER PROJECTS. TASK 1 - PROVIDE GUIDANCE IN THE PLANNING PHASE FOR THE SELECTION OF APPROPRIATE FLIGHT LINES TO COLLECT THE OPTIMAL DATA SET FOR THE CRYOSPHERIC SCIENCE COMMUNITY. PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR THE LOGISTICAL PLANS FOR REMOTE DEPLOYMENTS. PROVIDE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE ATM SENSOR SUITE ON NASA SENSOR PLATFORM AIRCRAFT, AND TESTING OF THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE SENSOR SUITE WITH GROUND TESTING AND DURING A FLIGHT TEST. TASK 2 - PROVIDE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT OF THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS IN THE FIELD, INCLUDING SELECTION OF AREAS TO BE SURVEYED ON A GIVEN DAY AS A FUNCTION OF WEATHER, CREW DUTY SCHEDULES, AND LOCAL AIRPORT SCHEDULES. TASK 3 - PROVIDE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE DEPLOYMENT FOR PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM CALIBRATION FLIGHTS TO DEVELOP MOUNTING BIASES AND CALIBRATION TABLES, FOR PREPROCESSING ALL OF THE DATA ACQUIRED DURING THE DEPLOYMENT, FOR PRODUCING OUTPUT PRODUCTS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO COLLABORATORS, AND FURTHER ANALYZE THE DATA TO PRODUCE STATISTICAL AND GRAPHICAL OUTPUT TO INDICATE CHANGES IN THE ICE TOPOGRAPHY SINCE EARLIER SURVEYS. IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF A STANDARD DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM SHALL BE SUPPORTED. EXPERIENCE WITH THE ATM PROCESSING SYSTEM AND ITS SOFTWARE IS ESSENTIAL FOR CARRYING OUT THESE TASKS. TASK 4 - PROVIDE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE DATA-PREPROCESSING PHASE FOR DATA Q&A ACTIVITIES. GENERALLY THIS ENTAILS COMPARING DATA SETS THAT INTERSECT DURING THE COURSE OF FLIGHT MISSIONS, AND COMPARISON OF DATA COLLECT THIS YEARS WITH OVERLAPPING DATA FROM THE PREVIOUS 16 YEARS OF ATM FLIGHTS TO GREENLAND.