Capabilities of SafetyNet/spl trade/ (SN) ground systems architecture for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)

The "SafetyNet/spl trade/" ground system architecture for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) will provide low data latency and high data availability to its customers. The NPOESS will cut the time between observation and delivery by a factor of four when compared with today's space-based weather systems, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and NOAA's Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES). SafetyNet/spl trade/ will be a key element of the NPOESS architecture, delivering near real-time data over commercial telecommunications networks. Scattered around the globe, the 15 unmanned ground receivers are linked by fiber-optic systems to four central data processing centers in the US known as Weather Centrals. The Centrals are operated by the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service; Air Force Weather Agency; Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, and the Naval Oceanographic Office. In addition, this ground system architecture will have unused capacity attendant with an infrastructure that can accommodate additional users.