NPP Preparatory Project Calibration/Validation: An Overview

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) will be the first launch of the tri-agency NPOESS program. NPP is a unique partnership between NPOESS and NASA to perform risk-reduction for the NPOESS operational system and serves as a data continuity mission for NASA. In establishing the calibration and validation (Cal/Val) program for NPP, we recognized the overlap in goals among the various government and industry participants. This commonality gave rise to the opportunity to construct a coordinated, multi-entity, leveraged, Cal/Val activity. This presentation will provide an overview of the pre-launch and post-launch phases of the NPP Cal/Val.

During the pre-launch phase of NPP Cal/Val, the focus is on sensor and algorithm testing and verification, buildup of infrastructure and tools, and detailed task planning for the post-launch phase. Many of the NPP data products have heritage in operational (NOAA and DoD) or NASA EOS sensors and algorithms. The program will reuse tools and strategies that have been successful in these heritage programs. We are using proxy data from heritage sensors wherever possible to test the tools and algorithms. Detailed Cal/Val planning is being undertaken jointly between the prime contractor, the IPO, and NASA to ensure that the best practices established by the community over decades of operational and experimental missions are appropriately considered. We will discuss preparation activities.

The post-launch phase of NPP Cal/Val will provide the detailed analysis of the sensor and algorithm performance as compared to the established system specifications. These activities will involve analysis of sensor calibration data and comparison of radiances and environmental data products against to correlative data sets. The correlative data sources are global environmental analysis fields, data from other spaceborne sensors, ground-based sensor networks, and special validation campaigns. An overview of the currently planned post-launch activities will be provided.