[nws-changes] 20100723: Administrative, NOAA-18 Gyro Tests Update, Issued 7/23/10

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [nws-changes] 20100723: Administrative, NOAA-18 Gyro Tests Update, Issued 7/23/10
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:44:28 -0600

-------- Original Message --------

Topic: NOAA-18 Gyro Tests Update
Message Issued: July 23, 2010, 1250 UTC
Satellites Impacted: NOAA-18
Products Impacted: All data and products from NOAA-18 (AVHRR, AMSU-A, AMSU-B, 
HIRS, MHS, SBUV)
Date/Time of Initial Impact: Initial Tests Begin No Earlier Than 8/10/10

--------------------------
Details:

Satellite engineers from NOAA's Office of Satellite Operations (OSO) have 
informed the Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution (OSDPD) of a 
series of tests on the NOAA-18 gyro sub-system. These tests are a result of 
ongoing analysis of the current operational and backup NOAA-18 gyro sub-systems 
and concerns about the imminent failure of these systems resulting in unusable 
products within six months. While NOAA-18 is considered a backup POES 
spacecraft, we understand that many users rely on NOAA-18 for operational data 
and product processing, including input into global Numerical Weather 
Prediction models.

The NOAA-18 gyro tests will result in possible significant navigation errors 
during the tests of up to 100 km for many instruments. To that end, OSDPD will 
process the NOAA-18 level 1b data on a backup system but cease the flow of 
NOAA-18 data to all operational products and halt the distribution of NOAA-18 
data to the NOAA CLASS archive.

Users obtaining data directly from NOAA-18 through APT or HRPT are advised of 
the possible severe degradation of the NOAA-18 data during these tests.

Details of the tests are as follows:
- Initial NOAA-18 gyro test to take place beginning on 8/10/10, running for 24 
hours
  - (In case of Critical Weather Day or else, the backup day for the initial 
test will be 8/17/10)
- Second NOAA-18 gyro test to take place beginning on 8/12/10, running for 24 
hours
  - (Backup day 8/24/10)
- A third NOAA-18 gyro test to take place approximately two or three months 
following second test.

Products that use NOAA-18 that will be affected:
- ATOVS Polar Soundings
- Radiation Budget
- Fire Identification Mapping and Monitoring Algorithm (FIMMA) for Hazard 
Mapping system (HMS) input
- CLAVR-X
- SST and Coastwatch
-Microwave Surface and Precipitation Products (MSPPS)
- Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (MIRS)
- Blended TPW
- Ozone: SBUV/2
- Ozone: TOAST
- Ensemble Tropical Rainfall Potential (eTRaP)
- Global Vegetation Index Products (GVI)
- AVHRR Winds



---------------------------
Contact Information:
Brian Hughes
Satellite Services Division
NOAA/NESDIS/OSDPD
301-763-8051 x106
Brian.Hughes@xxxxxxxx

Seehttp://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/SATS/messages.html   for this and other
satellite related messages.
Seehttp://www.ssd.noaa.gov  for full GOES scanning schedules.