Description:

Invited panelists to discuss next generation ground systems with emphasis on cost-efficient, sustainable, enterprise architecture based on innovations and disruptive technological changes. This Panel will first examine the current state of operational ground systems in support of weather satellites, including NOAA, Space Force, NASA, international and commercial systems.  The panel will discuss performance limitations and bottlenecks the current ground segment faces, especially with new satellite systems and ever-expanding data streams from Earth Observing satellites.  The Panel will then discuss innovations and disruptive technological changes that have emerged in recent years that would transform Ground Systems into a more efficient, resilient, cost effective, architecture of the future.  The Panel will identify how these changes will impact the future operational aspects of the ground segment.  This includes the emergence of new business models, promoting smaller space acquisition systems, the realization of cheaper and stronger, on orbit and on the ground, processing resources and the enablement of new applications.  The Panelists will also argue the case for and against the role of the commercial sector in supporting the Government’s needs of ground operations.   The Panel will present lessons learned from the US and possibly from Europe, Asia, and the Southern Hemisphere that would provide insight on the economical sustainability of ground operations of the future.  The Panelists will then set the stage for a continued future discussion revisiting the status of innovations and disruptive technological changes the ground segment continues to experience in the near future with special emphasis on weather and environmental monitoring.