NOAA UAS Town Hall

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NOAA UAS Town Hall AUVSI Conference August 8,
2007 Washington, DC
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NOAA UAS Town Hall AUVSI Conference August 8,
2007 Washington, DC

• Purpose
• Describe the vision for potential future use of
  UAS to help meet NOAAs Mission Goals in
• Climate
• Weather
• Ecosystems
• Commerce and Transportation
• Summarize NOAAs strategy for exploring this
  potential
• Solicit Feedback and Input from the UAS
  Community

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NOAA UAS Town Hall AUVSI Conference August 8,
2007 Washington, DC

• Agenda
• A Vision of the Future Dr. Alexander E.
  (Sandy) MacDonald
• OAR/Deputy Assistant Administrator for
  Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes
• Director, NOAA/OAR Earth System Research
  Laboratory
• Executing the Vision Dr. F. Martin (Marty)
  Ralph
• Program Manager, NOAA/Weather Water/Science,
  Technology Infusion
• Project Manager, NOAAs Unmanned Aircraft
  Systems Major Project
• Community Feedback/Input 90 minutes reserved
  for open dialogue

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Global Earth Observing System of SystemsGEOSS

• Observational gaps exist worldwide
• Requires new technologies
• Addresses global needs
• Goals are international
• A top NOAA Priority
  

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GEOSS-Related UAS Guidance from NOAAs
Administrator

• We must move new but proven observing systems
  into an operational environment and redirect
  associated resources and research toward
  exploring new technologies, such as unmanned
  aerial vehicles, to meet future requirements.
• VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher,August 2006

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GAP between satellites and surface-based
sensors Unmanned Aircraft Systems have great
potential to fill this gap and take observations
to complement our existing platforms What are
the gaps ?
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NOAA Is Looking At A Broad Range Of Platforms For
Global Information

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Vision for UAS Applications in NOAA
Unmanned Aircraft Systems will revolutionize
monitoring of the Earth system, much as radar
and satellite technology have done in the past.

• Critical environmental monitoring needs and
  requirements remain unmet.
• NOAA will
• accelerate the exploration of this technology for
  civilian applications and
• will benefit society by improving NOAAs ability
  to meet its mission requirements, and by
• strengthening US Global Economic Competitiveness
  in this key emerging technology.

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NOAA UAS Town HallAUVSI ConferenceAugust 8,
2007 Washington, DC

• From Vision
• To Execution

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NOAAs Strategy for Exploring UAS Technology

• In 2005, NOAA
• Established the UAS Major Project
• Identified a Project Manager - Dr. F. M. Ralph
• Assigned a NOAA Council - the Research Council
  - to review key decision points for the project

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NOAAs Strategy for Exploring UAS Technology

• Key roles of NOAAs Unmanned Aircraft Systems
  (UAS) Major Project are to
• Provide a single focal point for agency,
  interagency, industry and academic interaction,
  coordination and collaboration
• Address requirements across all NOAA Mission
  Goals and Line Offices
• Provide sound scientific and practical
  experience upon which to base future decisions on
  the possible long-term role(s) of UAS in NOAA
• Identify UAS-based lower-cost alternatives to
  current and planned observing systems
• Explore the potential of UAS for meeting NOAAs
  currently unmet mission requirements (i.e.,
  identify gaps in NOAAs ability to meet its
  mission goals)
• Lead the planning and execution of NOAAs
  exploration of UAS technology, including formal
  recommendations on adoption of UAS for NOAA
  operations
• Work with NOAA Fleet Services to transition UAS
  into operations (if needed)

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NOAAs Strategy for Exploring UAS Technology

• Since 2005, the NOAA UAS project has
• Helped organize field demonstrations, working
  closely with other agencies, e.g., NASA and DOE,
  and with industry and academia
• Led the detailed planning and budgeting for
  FY06-15, including field demonstrations, key
  decision points and possible operational
  implementation (engaging heavily both the RD and
  aircraft operations leadership and experts in
  NOAA)
• Worked with NASA and FAA to expand testing of
  UAS in ways that can inform policy on airspace
  access
• Adopted a regional UAS Test Bed approach to
  test platforms and missions across several
  regions and key phenomena so as to gain
  real-world experience, and to engage local
  partners

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(No Transcript)
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UAS Research Applications in Alaska
Mammal Monitoring
Arctic Ice monitoring strawman route
Fisheries Enforcement
Pipeline
Transboundary Air Pollution from Asia
Wild Fires
Coastal Erosion
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UAS Applications in the Gulf Region
Hurricane
Forecasting Hurricane
aftermath Katrina (New Orleans)
Oil Platforms
Dead Zone (harmful algal blooms)
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UAS Applications in the Pacific (35 of earths
surface)
Northwest Hawaiian Islands Marine National
Monument worlds largest marine sanctuary and
one of the most pristine marine ecosystems in the
world, nearly untouched by humans. 1,400 miles
long, 100 miles wide, and home to more than 7,000
species, many seen nowhere else in the world
Ghost Nets
Pacific Typhoon (August 7, 2006)
Atmospheric River
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Tropical Storm Ophelia Sept 2005, NASA
Wallops Aerosonde launch
Feb 2006, Point Upolu, Hawaii, NOAA NMSP Silver
Fox and Manta Project to monitor marine mammals
Altair Mission, Channel Islands and eastern
Pacific, 2005
TESTS
To Date
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Upcoming UAS Symposium

• When Oct 1-3, 2007
• Where University of Colorado at Boulder
  Who Science, Industry, Education
• -- 200 Participants from across the nation
  civilian use of UAS
• Leads Dr. B. Weatherhead Betsy.Weatherhead_at_noaa.
  gov
• Dr. Brian Argrow Brian.Argrow_at_colorado.edu

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Bottom Line

• UAS - A Technology Whose Time has Come
• Projected to be a Multi - Billion Dollar Industry
• 3M FY08 Presidents Budget for NOAA
• 3 B in DoD Budget
• American Competitiveness
• US Regional Test Beds Artic, Hurricane, Pacific
• England, Finland, Canada (Building National
  Bases)
• Europe Investing 500M Euros ( Approx 750M)

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NOAA UAS Project Contacts

• http//UAS.noaa.gov (NOAA UAS Web Page)
• Marty.Ralph_at_noaa.gov (NOAA UAS Project Manager)
• Sara.Summers_at_noaa.gov (Deputy Project Manager)
• Philip.G.Hall_at_noaa.gov (UAS Flight Operations)