Overview of the NASA Terrestrial Environments Support Role: Data and Applications
This presentation focuses on the terrestrial environment component of the Natural Environments Branch’s (NEB’s) support role and highlights the instrumentation and data sources used, how the data are quality controlled and archived, and the analyses and use-cases of these datasets. A detailed overview is provided about some individual data sources that are used by the branch, which includes a network of instruments (e.g., wind towers, balloons, and profilers) and models, such as the Earth Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Earth-GRAM). Additionally, the data archival and quality control processes that maintain the high-quality climatological datasets from these sources are discussed, as are the implemented and pending updates to this process. Examples of the different applications for these datasets are presented to showcase the analytical and operational capabilities of the NEB and demonstrate the culmination of the entire process. This includes the Range Reference Atmospheres created and maintained by the NEB, sea-state analyses for crewed return, certification of observation systems for space flight, and the day-of-launch support process. The NEB at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) supports the NASA Engineering Directorate (ED) and Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) by providing the necessary environmental constraints to facilitate the safe design and operation of assets required for space travel. This includes, but is not limited to, the environmental considerations for assets residing at the launch sites, temporarily stationed at a launch site, traversing the [extra-]terrestrial atmosphere and open space, and arriving at their destination. As such, the Terrestrial and Planetary Environments Team within the NEB is but a part of the whole, delegated to quantify the environment that assets may encounter whilst on Earth and within its atmosphere. However, nearly all ESDMD assets are subjected to terrestrial conditions, which cover a diverse range of meteorological regimes and extremes. The team also supports day-of-launch operations for the Space Launch System (SLS), providing real-time monitoring of the winds and thermodynamics along the launch path using an amalgamation of observed, remotely sensed, and modeled output.