The National Weather Service (NWS) Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) at Johnson Space Center provides operational weather support for NASA's human spaceflight programs. The SMG has been an integral part of the flight control team in the Mission Control Center since 1962. The NWS Incident Meteorology program can be traced to its first forecast products issued in 1912, with the NWS officially establishing a fire weather service on April 10, 1916. NWS incident meteorologists deliver specific operational meteorological services to land management agencies, incident command post personnel, and emergency responders. Although Incident meteorologists have primarily provided support for wild fires, they have also responded for other significant events such as recovery operations after September 11, 2001, space shuttle Columbia recovery (2003), and hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

As the science of operational meteorology changes with the Information Age, meteorological support is changing from passive services to tactical decision support services. Some valuable lessons have been learned from the SMG and incident meteorologist experience and can be incorporated into a new operational focus: integrated weather support. Integrated weather support is a higher level of interaction between the meteorologist and the partner/decision maker requiring weather information. Rather than being a one-way flow of information from the meteorologist to the partner, or even a two-way interaction as in current operational practice, integrated weather support implies joint training and exercises, shared nomenclature, joint research/development, etc. The SMG and incident meteorologists clearly meet these requirements, as do NWS Center Weather Service Units. Similarly, the collaboration between the NWS Southern Region Headquarters Regional Operations Center and the Texas Department of Emergency Management is an example utilizing technology to work remotely, while maintaining a very high level of professional interaction.

A comparison of the operations at the SMG and the typical incident meteorologist assignment will demonstrate the common strengths that have been developed and are in operational use today. Best practices in emerging computer applications and information technologies , such as Internet-based briefing tools (Go-to-Meeting*, VISITView*, Camtasia*, Articulate Presenter*), the ability to integrate gridded weather data, specialized numerical model data, and other geographical information through geographic information systems for use by decision makers, will be examined.

*Any reference to a non-government entity, product, service or information does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the National Weather Service or its employees.