NOAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program Strategy& Arctic Collaboration

“Alaska is our aircraft carrier in the Arctic!”

John “JC” CoffeyNOAA UAS Program Office

10 September 2013

Purpose and Outline

• NOAA UAS Strategic Vision and Roadmap• Arctic Missions & Future• Challenges & Success!

Unmanned FlightIt is not new!!!

1862 Balloons (manned) used to survey Civil War battlefields

1903 Wright Brothers manned flight

1923 First radio controlled flight

1944 First use of a cruise missile in combat

1946 First UAV used in the science research role

1959 First UAV used in the reconnaissance role 1998 First trans-Atlantic crossing by an unmanned aircraft (Aerosonde)

2001 First trans-Pacific crossing by an unmanned aircraft (Global Hawk)

2013 Balloon used to survey Central Park, NY (Digital Design & Imaging Services)

Concept of OperationsWhy Unmanned Systems?

• Dirty, Dull, Dangerous, Denied

• Efficient, Effective, Economical & Environmentally Friendly

• Prolific because:– Command and Control

improvement– Propulsion improvements– Sensor miniaturization– Remote operations– Timely operations– Economic benefits

NOAA UAS Strategic Vision and Goals

• Vision– UAS will revolutionize NOAA observing strategies by

2015 comparable to the introduction of satellite and radar assets decades earlier

• Goals– Goal 1: Increase UAS observing capacity – Goal 2: Develop high science-return UAS missions

• High impact weather monitoring, • Polar monitoring • Marine monitoring

– Goal 3: Transition cost-effective, operationally feasible UAS solutions into routine operations

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NASA/NOAA ArcticGlobal Hawk UAS Missions

• NASA / NOAA Global Hawk Pacific (2010) • First Global Hawk science mission• Flights spanned 12 to 85 deg N Latitudes• NOAA Corp Officer becomes first certified NASA Global Hawk pilot

• NASA Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (2010)• First Global Hawk flights over tropical cyclones• Real-time data delivery

• NOAA Winter Storm Pacific and Atmospheric Rivers (2011)• First operational dropsonde deployment, 177 sondes total• First dropsonde in the Arctic since 1950s

• NASA Hurricane Severe Storm Sentinel (2012 – 2013)• Three-year experiment deploying 2 Global Hawks• 2011 test flight comparison of G-IV and Global Hawk dropsondes

shows very good agreement• First East Coast deployment of Global Hawk• Three NOAA Corps certified pilots and maintenance crew• Dropsonde data delivered in real-time to National Hurricane

Center

NASA Hurricane Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) Experiment

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Environment Observations• Profiles of temperature, humidity, wind, and pressure (AVAPS)• Cloud top height (CPL)• Cloud top temperature and profiles of temperature and humidity (S-HIS)

Over-storm Observations•Doppler velocity, horizontal winds, and ocean surface winds (HIWRAP)• Profiles of temperature and humidity and total precipitable water (HAMSR)• Ocean surface winds and rain (HIRAD)

USCGC Icebreaker Healy & PUMA Mission & Science Objectives

Sept 7-23, 2013 The demonstration will utilize Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and Government-Off-The-Shelf

(GOTS) technologies, from the USCG Icebreaking Cutter HEALY to demonstrate the ability to respond to oil spills in the Arctic.

Six specific components will be evaluated including: 1. Unmanned Aircraft System (NOAA & University of Alaska PUMA AE UAS)2. Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute SeaBED UUV)3. Oil Recovery Skimmer (National Strike Force’s Helix skimmer)4. Remotely Operated Vehicle (PAC Area’s VideoRay Pro 4 ROV )5. Ruttar Radar system (Rutter Radar)6. NOAA’s Environmental Response Management Application (NOAA)

USCG Icebreaker Healy ArcticMonitoring Mission

MIZOPEX FY13 (July 10-August 10, 2013)

Science Objectives

• (Goal) Fly a combination of different types of remote sensing instruments over the marginal ice zone off the North Slope, along with deploying small buoys to measure ocean conditions.

 • (Objectives) Assess ocean and sea ice variability during the melt season. • (Outcome) The data will be used to investigate:

- Amount and distribution of heat in the ocean mixed layer- Relationships between atmospheric conditions and solar heating- Sea ice characteristics and relationships to melt rates and change- Validation and improvement of satellite-derived products for sea surface temperature, ice concentration and ice type, thickness and roughness.

 

MIZOPEX Mission LocationOliktok Point, AK

Oliktok Point Alaska, Oliktok Long Range Radar Site, USAF-PAC-VNMH-13

Oliktok Point

Ice

Issues & Barriers to Success

• Unmanned Systems have been “Wildly successful!”• Plenty of issues but, “We have chosen to admire the problem.”• Issues & Barriers to Success

– Privacy– FAA Regulations & Access – Airspace, Airworthiness, Quals– Program Management

• Engineering, Logistics, T&E, Operations, Contracting…• Cost, Schedule, Performance, Risk, Requirement Traceability, Commonality

– Administrative hurdles to cooperation & asset pooling• MOUs & IAAs• Buying data or capability (assets, personnel, infrastructure)?• Understanding utilization rates

– S&T… R&D… “Three months of install and ground test for 1 Flt-Hr – Flt Hours vs On-station Hours vs Sensor Hours vs Data Hours vs Used DH

Success!

• High Utilization Rate– FAA Airspace Access

• Dangerous, Dirty, Dull, Denied• Efficient, Effective, Economical and Environmentally Friendly

– Common and Pooled Assets & Operators• Logistic, Configuration Management, Training• Data Standardization, Quality, Storage and Cataloging• Overarching Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) & Scheduling

• Cheaper & Greener– Autonomous

• Completely• Multiple platforms controlled by single operator

– Uses 10% of the fuel or “new fuels” or “no fuel”

Small UAS Operations FY13

Project Mission Dates Location COA Required Platform(s) Mission

Coyote Launch May - August California / Avon Park No Coyote / GALE Clear Air and Storm Drop

VX-30 PUMA Emergency Response Exercise June 18th or June 19th Plead Control Range No PUMA (Army System) Emergency Response

Olympic Coast NMS PUMA: Travel June 16, PUMA OPS 17-30, Quad: Travel 23, OPS 24-30 Washington / Oregon Yes PUMA /

Quadrocopter/Resolution

Florida Keys NMS August 19 - September 1st Florida KeysYes (for habitat mapping

mission) / No (for enforcement mission)

PUMA FKNMS Habitat Mapping and Enforcement Mission

Channel Island NMS September 13-23 California Yes PUMA CINMS Blue Whale and Enforcement Mission.

HEALY Ice Breaker OPS

7 - 8 Sep: Embark on HEALY in Barrow (two days to allow for poor wx)

9 - 13 Sep: D-17/RDC/NOAA UAS/UAV oil spill exercise

22 Sep: HEALY inports in Seward, AK. PUMA Team disembarks and ships PUMA

gear back to AOC Arctic Yes PUMAIce Research, Cooperative

Ops

Marine Debris September 15-30 (1 week) Kodiak Island, AK Yes PUMA Marine Debris Detection

River Forecasting Center September Lake Borgne, LA Yes PUMA River Forecasting Center

Small UAS Operations FY14

Month Platform Mission Location AOC SupportEstimated Mission Duration

Oct-13PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Florida Keys NMS 2 operators 10 daysNov-13PUMA AE DDL River Forecasting Center Bogue Chitto NWR / Pearl River WMA 1 PIC 2 weeksDec-13APH-22 Hexacopter Marine Mammal Surveys Antarctica None all monthJan-14MD4-1000 Quadrocopter Grey Whale / Marine Mammal Surveys\ Central California 1 PIC 10 daysJan-14APH-22 Hexacopter Marine Mammal Surveys Antarctica NoneJan-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 daysFeb-14APH-22 Hexacopter Marine Mammal Surveys Antarctica None all month

Feb-14PUMA AE DDLLiving Marine Resource, Seabird and Marine Debris Detection Olympic Coast NMS 2 operators 10 days

Feb-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 daysFeb-14PUMA AE DDL River Forecasting Center Bogue Chitto NWR / Pearl River WMA 1 PIC 2 weeksMar-14APH-22 Hexacopter Marine Mammal Surveys Antarctica None March 1 - 15Mar-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 daysApr-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Florida Keys NMS 2 operators 10 daysApr-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 days

May-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Florida Keys NMS 2 operators 10 daysMay-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 daysMay-14PUMA AE DDL River Forecasting Center Bogue Chitto NWR / Pearl River WMA 1 PIC 2 weeksJun-14APH-22 Hexacopter Marine Mammal Surveys Aleutian Island Chain None all monthJun-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Stellwagen Bank NMS 2 operators 10 daysJun-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Florida Keys NMS 2 operators 10 daysJun-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 daysJun-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Gray's Reef NMS 2 operators 10 daysJul-14APH-22 Hexacopter Marine Mammal Surveys Aleutian Island Chain None July 1-8

Jul-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / EnforcementPapahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument 2 operators 10 days

Jul-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Florida Keys NMS 2 operators 10 daysJul-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 daysJul-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Gray's Reef NMS 2 operators 10 days

Aug-14Scan Eagle Marine Mammal Surveys Arctic (Barrow, AK) None month longAug-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Florida Keys NMS 2 operators 10 daysAug-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 daysAug-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Gray's Reef NMS 2 operators 10 days

Aug-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / EnforcementPapahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument 2 operators 10 days

Aug-14PUMA AE DDL River Forecasting Center Bogue Chitto NWR / Pearl River WMA 1 PIC 2 weeksSep-14Scan Eagle Marine Mammal Surveys Arctic (Barrow, AK) None month long

Sep-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / EnforcementWest Coast Region (Monterey, Cordell Bank, Farallones) 2 operators 10 days

Sep-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Channel Islands NMS Varies (none, 1 or 2 pilots) 10 daysSep-14PUMA AE DDL Living Marine Resource / Enforcement Gray's Reef NMS 2 operators 10 days

Contact Information

UAS Web Site: http://uas.noaa.gov/

Questions should be directed to: noaa.uas@noaa.gov

Robbie Hood - NOAA UAS Program Director robbie.hood@noaa.gov

John “JC” Coffey- NOAA UAS Program Officejohn.j.coffey@noaa.gov

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DoD Recognized Challengesfor UxS

• Interoperability: Across the domains of air, ground, and maritime. • Autonomy: Mindful of manpower, affordability, operational utilities,

technological developments, policy, public opinion. • Airspace Integration: Within the National Airspace System (NAS) &

International Airspace. Operating areas for all systems • Communications: Address frequency and bandwidth availability, link

security, link ranges, and network infrastructure moving toward onboard pre-processing.

• Training: Joint training requirements to improved training effectiveness and efficiency.  

• Propulsion and Power: More efficient and logistically supportable sources for propulsion and power.  

• Manned-Unmanned (MUM) Teaming: Improve the teaming of unmanned systems with the manned force.

April 2012 17

FAA in the Arctic

Congress established 3 regions Arctic –“permanent areas in the Arctic where small unmanned aircraft may operate 24 hours per day for research and commercial purposes.”

2012 FAA Modernization Act –the Bering Strait –portions of the Bering Sea –and the Arctic Ocean

• FAA “Arctic” defined as the U.S. zone of the Chukchi Sea, the Beaufort Sea and the Bering Sea north of the Aleutian island chain. • Test grounds for commercial UAS use to boost research and development • Certifications granted to the Insitu ScanEagle and AeroVironment Puma AE for Arctic Operations (limited)

Additional Animal Monitoring