NOAA Update: Transition to New Direct Readout Systems for New Generation Satellites

Over the next few years, NOAA Direct Readout (DR) and direct broadcast services will change significantly as the future spacecraft constellations become operational.  The geostationary and polar-orbiting environmental satellite constellations will employ higher data rates, larger bandwidths, and new downlink frequency allocations. Several of the Direct Readout communities will not be supported on future NOAA environmental satellites.  These groups will either have to upgrade to a new service or find an alternative method to acquire the data they need to support their mission. 

This talk will provide an overview of the various Direct Readout capabilities available from NOAA satellites that serve the users of environmental satellite direct broadcast data and those operating their own satellite data receiving stations.  In addition, it will also provide the opportunity to inform NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) customers of the innovative new changes in Direct Readout technologies and new applications with future satellite data.

Specifically, this presentation will address the transition from GOES Variable Format (GVAR) to GOES-R ReBroadcast (GRB), upgrade of the Low Rate Information Transmission (LRIT) data rate in the GOES-R era to GOES-R High Rate Information Transmission/Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (HRIT/EMWIN), and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) High Rate Data (HRD). In addition, this paper will provide a status and future plans for GEONETCast Americas (GNC-A) Broadcast, a technical and implementation insight to new missions, the new data formats and adjustments to accommodate the increased data volumes; new technology for data reception as well as alternative methods for data distribution and future planning.

NOAA’s Direct Readout and Direct Broadcast services are managed by the Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO).  The Direct Services Branch (DSB) is responsible for administering the processes and procedures required to meet the environmental user needs and expectations. For more information, please see http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Services