Landsat Coordinating Group
Department of Commerce
February 4, 1998

Minutes of the Meeting
(The minutes are a summary of the discussion and, for the most part, do not include the material shown on viewgraphs during the presentations.)

• Attending (Name/Organization):
  • R. Byrnes/USGS
  • G. Davis/NOAA/NESDIS
  • K. Dolan/NASA/GSFC
  • J. Ellickson/NOAA/NESDIS
  • G. Komar/NASA
  • K. Liang/NOAA/NESDIS
  • R. Menrad/NASA/GSFC
  • B. McGregor/USGS
  • L. Pettinger/USGS
  • E. Sheffner/CSUMB
  • RJ. Thompson/USGS/EDC
  • W. Townsend/NASA
  • C. Watkins/NOAA/NESDIS
  • D. Williams/NASA/GSFC
  • G. Withee/NOAA/NESDIS
  • H. Wong/NASA/GSFC
  • C. Wooldridge/NOAA
• Meeting chaired by G. Komar

AGENDA

• Introductions and agency updates: G. Withee, B. McGregor, W. Townsend
• Landsat 7 space segment: K. Dolan
• Landsat 7 ground segment: R. Menrad
• Landsat 7 software distribution: D. Williams
• NOAA report: J. Ellickson
• NASA report: G. Komar
• Discussion

Introductions and agency updates

• G. Withee
  • NOAA still struggling with funding for operations; still a full partner in Landsat Program Management but with no funding. The agency, the Department of Commerce and OMB understand the situation, but no solution has, as yet developed. NOAA appreciates the response it has received from NASA regarding the funding shortfall.
  • G Davis, Director, Office of Satellite Operations, NOAA/NESDIS, is now also overseeing Landsat operations for NOAA.
• B. McGregor
  • The USGS has a long-term archive funding initiative approved within the President's FY1999 budget. Pleased that some funding is available for Landsat. Looking forward to hearing update on schedule because of potential impact on EDC budgets.
• W. Townsend
  • There may be a substantial delay in the launch of Landsat 7 due to problems in the power supplies. NASA wants to reassure its partners in LPM that funding resources will not be an issue in completing the project.
  • In response to Withee's comments, NASA is well aware of NOAA's funding problems for operations. NASA is willing to discuss potential solutions with NOAA, although it is unlikely a solution will emerge at this meeting.
  • The proposed NASA budget for FY99 was made public Monday - $13.72B. Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) has been renamed, now the Earth Science Enterprise. Change is significant because MTPE did not describe well the science aspect of the mission. Earth Science better describes the fundamental science base of the program.
  • From biennial review, there is a new approach to implementing missions after EOS. Cut in ES budget is due to implementation of less expensive ways of doing business. Looking to add 100M in next five years to ES R&A.
  • Ghassem Asrar named as AA to ES. Formerly chief scientist to EOS program. Scientists now head each of science enterprises. Asrar will be engaging in Landsat activities.

K. Dolan - Landsat 7 space segment

• Primary concern with the instrument is the power supply problem encountered during thermal vac testing. Initial problem encountered about two months ago. Subsequently additional problems encountered with all 4 power supplies.
  • problem appears to be vacuum dependent.
  • team working on the problems
    • In response to question from G Davis - power supplies on L7 essentially the same as on L6 except for some parts. One of the new parts is a diode, the diode that failed in test. Diode replaced with class S part. Load changes on the system have increased from L6
    • Directed Santa Barbara to develop ROM cost for new power supply should that be required.
    • G Withee - were loads checked to make sure problem was not in the power supply? - all potential causes of the failure are being investigated, but the loads were checked.
    • How about 104Khz noise problem? If new supply is built, the noise problem will be dealt with.
    • On the instrument side, as power supply is being worked on, other, minor fixes/corrections will be made to three of the detectors, clean off particulate matter on focal plane, and improve instrument registration.
    • If power supply is ready by 4/1/98, launch can be completed this year (with no schedule contingency)
    • March 9 is final date to commit to July 9 launch, otherwise penalties begin to accrue. W. Townsend - the fact that project is looking at alternative power supplies is an indicator of the seriousness of the problem.
    • As far as launch is concerned, after August some modifications will be made to the launch pad - those repairs will affect availability of launch dates. Hope to come to final determination of power supply problem by next week.
    • B. McGregor - What is worst case scenario? - If new PS is needed, it will take at least one year to get it before testing can begin. But that is not what we believe, at this time, is necessary.
• G. Davis - is an independent review being done on the problem? G. Komar - Aerospace is reviewing the project regularly.
• Spacecraft testing proceeding in the interim.
• L7 processing requirements changed to distribution of 100 L1 scenes per day (up from 25 L1 and 100 total per day).

B. Menrad - ground system status

• Ground station at EDC now reinstalled. LGS should be operational by end of March Given the delay in L7 launch date, ECS will now likely be ready to support Landsat 7 data flow at handover.
• Still working plan to reduce handover time 90 days to 60 days. Billing and accounting capabilities required for L7 will be available at handover

D. Williams - software access

• Public access will be provided to the Landsat Processing System (LPS) and the Image Assessment System (IAS) source code
  • The source code will be hosted initially on a server located in Building 22 at GSFC. Access to the code will be through the Landsat 7 project science homepage. Documentation and algorithm descriptions will be provided with the code
  • The code is designed for the LPS and IAS hardware architectures only. No guarantees or support will come with it.
  • Release dates:
    • LPS 2.1 - 3/15/98
    • LPS 3.0 - 6/15/98
    • IAS 2 - 4/15/98
    • IAS 3 - 8/30/98
• The EDC DHF will host the code after transition
• Some funding will be directed to Univ. of Maryland to support IAS software. G. Davis - should we offer support to the software for the IGSs? D. Williams, the code will be good, but the science office does not have the resources to help support that code on every possible platform the IGSs may use.

J. Ellickson - NOAA report
Topics

• Landsat 4/5 operations status
• Interagency MOUs
• IGS MOUs
• Mission readiness milestones
• Financial status - impact of Landsat 7 launch delay

• Landsat 4/5 operations
  • L4 remains of great value as a test bed for L5. Inclination maneuver performed to correct crossing time degradation and keep the thermal properties of the system such as to keep L4 functional.
  • L5 helix current degradation appears to be getting better.
• Is EOSAT still collecting about the same amount of data? Yes
• Interagency MOU's
  • NOAA/USGS signed; NOAA/NASA in process; IGS MOUs:
    • State department has given approval to negotiate with 18 countries
    • IGS concerns:
      • competition with US for data sales; although some stations support lower cost of data because science use of the data has decreased. W. Townsend - that's why we will re-evaluate cost of data every year
      • no Landsat 7 follow-on: W. Townsend - NASA has not decided it will not build a Landsat 7 follow-on. If someone in the commercial sector, like Resource21, can supply Landsat type data NASA will not build a follow-on, but the question remains open. What NASA is trying to demonstrate with EO-1 is new technology that can lead to "Landsat 8". The major question about L8 is what actions the commercial sector will do. NASA will consult with NOAA and USGS should NASA decide to proceed with L8.
      • G. Davis- the IGS are also concerned with the cost of upgrades to receive the data. - W. Townsend: Regarding the funding concerns in the project, Is there an opportunity to educate DOC on Landsat and improve the prospects of getting appropriated funds? G. Withee, Yes, DOC may consider seeking an appropriation to cover operations costs, that appropriation to be repaid to the treasury by IGS access fees and data sales.
• Readiness plan - 6 milestones important to customer identified: Landsat 7 launch, handover to NOAA, initial L7 products available, all products available, IGS charges in effect, IGS delivers metadata to EDC DAAC.
• Financial status - impact of Landsat 7 launch delay
  • Uncertainty is in the period from end of FY98 through handover of the system. Problem is understood, no settlement will be reached today. G. Withee - shall we try to come to settlement on this issue by this March? Yes, Townsend and McGregor agreed. Will look for a solution and a legal mechanism for transferring funds between agencies if such transfers are necessary.
  • B. McGregor - EDC FY99 fund requirements not related to routine operations. Therefore, the figure is good regardless of launch.

G. Komar: Disposition of actions from last meeting
Summary of new action items:

1. NASA: Get schedule to NOAA and USGS on when billing and accounting capabilities and distribution of Level 1 data capability will be on-line and operational at EDC.
2. NASA: Draft letter to Landsat Science Team (S. Goward) reviewing actions taken to address the concerns expressed by the Landsat Science Team at the LCG meeting in last October.
3. NASA: Keep NOAA and USGS informed on the nature of the problem to the ETM+ power supplies and new launch date for Landsat 7
4. NASA: Make presentation to LGSOWG meeting in May on Landsat 7 problems and Landsat 7 follow-on
5. NASA/NOAA: Work on solution to budget problem caused by the delay in the Landsat 7 launch.

END

Next meeting - May 12, 1998