Collaborating with Federal Partners to Find Solutions for User-Impact Driven Satellite Product Priorities: NOAA’s Interagency User Engagement Efforts through USGEO's Satellite Needs Working Group

NOAA is supporting a White House initiative to better define and coordinate needs for future civil earth-observing satellite missions. The U.S. Group on Earth Observation (USGEO) Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG) executes the satellite needs collection process by conducting a biennial survey for federal agencies to identify environmental satellite-sourced information needs and potential data gaps in programs of record and/or data sets. These surveys serve as input to satellite provider agencies (e.g. NASA, NOAA, and USGS) for considerations to future sensors placed into orbit, development and improvement of data products and services, and new data delivery strategies. Additionally, the surveys spark user engagement efforts and interagency collaboration among participating agencies concerning similar projects and needs. NOAA uses the SNWG survey cycle to capture, develop, and respond to high-priority enterprise satellite-based observation needs, whose fulfillments are key to improving mission essential products and services to the nation. This information supports National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) R2O product planning processes by providing input on the user-impact driven satellite product priorities. These priorities are considered by NOAA when allocating funding for product continuity and enhancement efforts. This presentation will highlight some of NOAA‘s interagency user engagement efforts in collaboration with federal partners to assess high-priority satellite needs, propose user-driven solutions to help satisfy agency needs, and address the data access challenges experienced by agencies.