Intelligent Long Endurance Observing System

Existing satellites provide coarse-grained (~ 10 km^2/pixel) data on surface features and column gas concentrations of climate-relevant trace gases. While these data can be supplemented by fine-pointing satellites and aircraft, the spatial and temporal resolution available is not sufficient to observe stochastic, ephemeral events that take place between observations. Emerging HALE UAS can operate for months at a time and loiter over targets to provide continuous daylight geostationary-like observations but must be integrated with existing satellites. We propose the development of the Intelligent Long Endurance Observing System (ILEOS), a science activity planning system. This Advanced and Emerging Technology (AET) proposal directly responds to Solicitation Objective O1: Enable new observation measurements and new observing systems design and operations through intelligent, timely, dynamic, and coordinated distributed sensing. ILEOS will help scientists build plans to improve spatio-temporal resolution of climate-relevant gases by fusing coarse-grained sensor data from satellites and other sources (e.g., terrain, wind forecasts), and plan HALE UAS flights to obtain finer-grain (high spatio-temporal) data. ILEOS will also enable observations for longer periods and of environments not accessible through in-situ observations and field campaigns. ILEOS consists of 3 components: the Target Generation Pipeline (Targeter), the Science Observation Planner (Planner), and Scientists' User Interface (Reporter). The Targeter identifies candidate target scenes for HALE UAS-mounted instrument observations. The Targeter leverages Science SME domain knowledge to fuse available coarse-grained data from satellites and other sources into pixel value maps, used to generate scenes and scene values. The Planner will use automated planning and scheduling technology to automatically generate a flight plan to observe the best identified target scenes while enforcing all operating constraints for a HALE UAS. The Reporter provides the user interface for science mission planners to visualize pixels, scenes, flight plans, and other data such as clouds and winds. The Reporter will allow mission planners to request explanations detailing pixels, scenes, and the underlying constraints and assumptions used to schedule measurements over scenes and generate a flight plan. The Reporter also allows scientists to modify constraints as necessary to adjust science objectives. Diverse science use cases will be developed based on characterizing NO2 and CH4 emissions in different parts of the world (e.g., permafrost thaw methane in the Arctic, high-altitude lightning-induced NOx (=NO+NO2)), and anthropogenic sources such as cities and oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico) that benefit from sustained observations by emerging HALE UAS technologies. The first 2 years of the effort development will be performed in parallel 'spirals'. The first spiral will concentrate on first science domain; the second domain effort will benefit from lessons learned from the first domain. In the 3rd year we will infuse ILEOS into NASA's heritage Mission Tool Suite (MTS) application, used by the Airborne Sciences Program (ASP), and with NASA's ETM project. The project will advance the state of the art by: - Developing a Target Generation Pipeline controllable by scientists to generate observation objectives for HALE UAS mounted instruments. - Developing a Science Observation Scheduler controllable by scientists to generate flight plans for HALE UAS. - Demonstrating the Scientists User Interface capability to task fleets of HALE UAS. - Enabling a NOS employing a combination of existing satellites and instruments combined with new HALE UAS-borne instruments to complement coarse-grained climate-relevant data with targeted high spatio-temporal coverage. The proposal team leverages technologists, human factors experts, science subject matter experts and instrument designers.

Advance Earth system science knowledge through the Identification, develop, and demonstrate innovative information systems technologies

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