virtual mission operations center vmoc
TRANSCRIPT
UNCLASSIFIED
Virtual Mission Operations Center VMOC
Disaster Response
“Intelligent Controller for Integrating Distributed Emergency Response Satellite Operations.”
IEEE Aerospace conference March 2013
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Today‘s Objective
Present the current emergency operations image tasking process
Demonstrate the streamlined/automated workflow that could be implemented using the VMOC
Details are available in the paper, “Secure, Autonomous, Intelligent Controller for Integrating Distributed Emergency Response Satellite Operations,” IEEE Aerospace conference, March 2013.
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
USGS
As a part of an international relief effort, the USGS coordinates data collection in response to emergencies (hurricanes, typhoons, forest fires, floods, earthquakes, …)
Access to free sensor data is currently provided by a whole host of national, military, and international providers (each with different interface requirements)
Due to the complexity and uniqueness of space systems, considerable manual coordination is required to obtain data products, creating bottlenecks and delays in obtaining critical information
– Example: following hurricane Katrina it took 5 days and a lot of phone calls to obtain the first overhead images
NRL, USAF TENCAP, HDDS, & NASA have been exploring system concepts to alleviate these issues
– e.g., Possible use of NGA: standard for the procurement of commercial imagery.
3
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Background
USAFSBL and General Dynamics developed the Virtual Mission Operations Center to support theater warfighters. It was implemented on a classified system, but could easily be fielded for civil applications
USGS was contacted by US Air Force Space Battle Lab during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to discuss ways to improve their workflows for ordering disaster imagery
– The current process requires expert knowledge on what systems are available for tasking, how to task those systems, what tasking information needs to be provided and in what format for each system (as they are all different), and who to contact to ensure the task was issued and whether or not the task was executed (often there is no feedback).
VMOC Deployed Locations – SIPRNet ATO SOC-11 Schriever AFB (ORS-1 launched 29 Jun 2011) – SIPRNet ATO Blossom Point Gnd Station (TacSat-4 launched 27 Sep 2011) – NASA GRC
NASA grant money was used to develop an unclassified demo version of the system for civil satellite tasking
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
What is VMOC?
Virtual Mission Operations Center (VMOC) – Sensor Visualization, Tasking, and Scheduling Tool – The VMOC is a collection of web-based tools designed to integrate
flight systems and automate flight processes
This particular VMOC implementation streamlines the USGS process for discovering satellite services and submitting orders for satellite imagery during disasters
VMOC captures the USGS expert’s knowledge and automates tasking
VMOC ensures that the first responders are provided with the “right data” – Not every possible scene, just the scenes that are actually needed for a given
set of circumstances
Reduces costs by only requesting data that is needed – Good steward of resources (reduced data requests) – makes this a more
partner friendly system – VMOC reduces system latency and improves operational responsiveness
UNCLASSIFIED
EMERGENCY REQUEST FLOW: ASTER via NASA
USGS Emergency Response
email (submit and close request)
HDDS
FTP PULL
email (notify delivery)
email (confirm support; confirm scheduling)
ASTER FTP (Expedited)
Ingest /Archive Processing
USGS (Emergency Response)
NASA (ASTER Project)
ASTER POC
Scheduling
ASTER Scheduling Staff
Capture, Processing, And Delivery
email (confirm scheduling) email/phone
request
END USER
System Flow (data request) Supporting communications
UNCLASSIFIED
EMERGENCY REQUEST FLOW: Landsat via USGS
USGS Emergency Response
email (submit and close request)
HDDS
FTP PULL
email (notify delivery)
email (confirm support; confirm scheduling)
System Flow (data request) Supporting communications
EarthExplorer
email/phone request
Ingest /Archive Processing
USGS (Emergency Response)
USGS (Landsat Project)
Landsat POC
Scheduling
Landsat Scheduling Staff
Capture, Processing, And Delivery
email (confirm scheduling)
END USER
UNCLASSIFIED
EMERGENCY REQUEST FLOW: SPOT 4/5 via EagleVision
USGS Emergency Response
email (submit and close request)
Scheduling
Scheduling
Vendor
HDDS
FTP PUSH
email (confirm scheduling)
email (confirm support)
Supporting communications EagleVision System(s)
Ingest /Archive Processing
email (image confirmation; notify delivery)
USGS EagleVision Vendor (Astrium)
(copy)
EagleVision Technical Staff
EagleVision POC
EagleVision Technical Staff
Capture/ Processing/ Delivery
END USER
email/phone request
UNCLASSIFIED
Vendors EMERGENCY REQUEST FLOW: High-Res Commercial via NGA
GIMS
USGS Emergency Operations
USGS CAC DRO
NGA SSA
email (submit request;
close request)
GIMS entry
Scheduling
NGA System
NGA approval NGA system entry
NGA request transmission
GIN transmission
Vendor 1 (Digital Globe)
Processing/Delivery
HDDS
FTP PULL (Vendor sites)
email (confirm receipt)
email (?) (confirm scheduling)
email (confirm scheduling)
System Flow (data request) Supporting communications NGA WARP
FTP PUSH (?)
email (confirm GIN entry and receipt)
Ingest /Archive Processing
Ingest /Archive Processing
email (FTP PULL delivery notification)
USGS NGA Vendors
(copy)
(copy)
Vendor 2 (GeoEye)
Vendor 1 (Digital Globe)
Vendor 2 (GeoEye)
END USER
email/phone request
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
USGS Tools Desired
USGS is particularly interested in tools designed to: – Perform first order analysis of which satellite assets will be available
over a given location under a given set of circumstances
– Recommend, via established configurable priorities, which of the potential sensor (and associated processing centers) would best be able to provide the data needed for a particular emergency
– Have machine-to-machine negotiations Determine if a particular asset is available for use
– Currently tasking via standard vendor specified formats Schedule following authorization
– Disseminate data to interested parties Hazard Data Distribution System (HDDS)
– Provide feedback status and situational awareness Example: FedEx Tracking
UNCLASSIFIED
USGS Emergency Response
Web submission
HDDS
FTP PULL
email (notify delivery)
Confirm support; Confirm scheduling
System Flow (data request) Supporting communications
email/phone request
Ingest /Archive Processing
USGS (Emergency Response)
USGS (VMOC)
EMERGENCY REQUEST FLOW: Using VMOC
VMOC Web Storefront
Quickbird2 Management
Mission Specific Capture, Processing, And Delivery
Mission Progress Feedback
END USER
VMOC Scheduler
EO-1 Management
ASTER Management
Tasking Submission
Tasking Requests
Mission Vendor
Mission Vendor
Mission Vendor
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
VMOC Web Based Tools
Integrated Mission Security and Situational Awareness – Right person access to the right system, command, or data at the right time – CM support to mission operations, senior mgmt, and data response teams to
quickly ascertain assets that can support specific needs or requests – Ensuring that integrated system security is not compromised
Operations automation – Low cost machine-to-machine interfaces and interactions – Reduced latency and improved operational responsiveness – Support disparate systems communication and cross-command – Allow “Requests for Effects” enabling tasking by non-space professionals
Technology Readiness – TRL-9: DOD sys on the SIPRNET tasking TacSat-4 and ORS-1 – TRL-7: The USGS Demo system is currently being implemented in an
unclassified environment and is located at Glenn Research Center and has new features relative to the DOD system
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Today’s Demonstration
Use Collection Requirements (CR) Management to create collection events (Tasking) – Polyline – Multipoint
Submit Approve Run Scheduler Show Schedule Show resulting HDDS data products Now look under the hood
Not practical to show in a quick demonstration. Orbital dynamics dictates when a sensor can take data. Approving may result in a bill.
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Contact List
NASA Glenn Research Center – Will Ivancic, [email protected] – Phil Paulsen, [email protected]
USGS – Brenda Jones, [email protected]
General Dynamics – Advanced Information Systems – Eric Miller, [email protected]