NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System’s (JPSS’s) Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) Program—PGRR Initiatives Show They are Ready to Respond to Natural or Man-Made Disasters through the International Charter Program

This presentation will describe the International Charter Space and Major Disaster Program and how it is activated in response to natural or man-made disasters. The background of how the JPSS Program became a source of much needed remote sensing data and products for charter members that do not have the satellite systems needed to respond to these disasters will be discussed. Details on the JPSS support to specific activations will be provided. Information on how the successes of the initial support to charter activations has guided other actions considered by JPSS and its PGRR Initiatives. Organizational relationships established through the International Charter Program has resulted in JPSS support to other disasters that did not result in charter activation. The future of JPSS support to charter activation will be highlighted, such as the anticipated benefit of the JPSS two satellite constellation. Note that the Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 (launched on November 18, 2017) circle the Earth in the afternoon (13:30:00) orbit, separated by 50 minutes. This constellation will provide twice the products to data-sparse areas of the globe being served by the International Charter Program.