"igf::ot::igf" Other Functions - Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (cygnss) Mission - the Cygnss Mission Proposal WAS Selected Under the Nasa Announcement of Opportunity Nnh11zda012o for the Earth Venture -2 (EV-2) Element of the Earth System Science Pathfinder (essp) Program Offices' Earth Venture Line. the Cygnss Mission IS a Class D Science Investigation. the Cygnss Mission Goal IS to Understand the Coupling Between Ocean Surface Properties, Moist Atmospheric Thermodynamics, Radiation, and Convective Dynamics in the Inner Core of Tropical Cyclones (TCS). the Goal Directly Supports the Nasa Strategic Objective to Enable Improved Predictive Capability for Weather and Extreme Weather Events. Near-Surface Winds ARE Major Contributors to and Indicators of Momentum and Energy Fluxes AT the Air/Sea Interface. Understanding the Coupling Between the Surface Winds and the Moist Atmosphere Within the TC Inner Core IS KEY to Properly Modeling and Forecasting ITS Genesis and Intensification. of Particular Interest IS the Lack of Significant Improvement in Storm Intensity Forecasts Over the Past TWO Decades, Relative to Forecasts of Storm Track. Advances in Tract Forecast Have Resulted in Large Part From the Improvements That Have Been Made in Observations and Modeling of the Mesoscale and Synoptic Environment Surrounding a TC. the Hypothesis IS That the Lack of an Accompanying Improvement in Intensity Forecast IS Largely DUE to a Lack of Observations and Proper Modeling of the TC Inner Core. the Inadequacy in Observations Results From TWO Causes. 1. Much of the Inner Core Ocean Surface IS Obscured From Conventional Remote Sensing Instruments by Intense Precipitation in the EYE Wall and Inner Rain Bands. 2. the Rapidly Evolving Genesis and Intensification Stages of the TC Life Cycle ARE Poorly Sampled by Conventional Polar-Orbiting, Wide-Swat Imagers. Cygnss Addresses These TWO Limitations by Combining the All-Weather Performance of Gps-Based Bistatic Scatterometry With the Spatial and Temporal Sampling Properties of a Constellation of Observatories. the Constellation Consists of Individual GPS Surface Reflection Receivers Flown on 8 Nanosatellites. This Provides the Ability to Measure the Ocean Surface Winds With Unprecedented Temporal Resolution and Spatial Coverage Under ALL Precipitating Conditions, UP to and Including Those Experienced in the Hurricane Eyewall. Cygnss Achieves ITS Goal Using Innovative Applications of Existing Technologies, Laboratory Tested and Verified in a Relevant Environment, to Avoid the Risks Inherent With NEW Technologies
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $116,121,329 ($116.1M)
Contractor: Regents of the University of Michigan
Awarding Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Start Date: 2012-12-07
End Date: 2021-09-30
Contract Duration: 3,219 days
Daily Burn Rate: $36.1K/day
Official Description: "IGF::OT::IGF" OTHER FUNCTIONS - CYCLONE GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM (CYGNSS) MISSION - THE CYGNSS MISSION PROPOSAL WAS SELECTED UNDER THE NASA ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH11ZDA012O FOR THE EARTH VENTURE -2 (EV-2) ELEMENT OF THE EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE PATHFINDER (ESSP) PROGRAM OFFICES' EARTH VENTURE LINE. THE CYGNSS MISSION IS A CLASS D SCIENCE INVESTIGATION. THE CYGNSS MISSION GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND THE COUPLING BETWEEN OCEAN SURFACE PROPERTIES, MOIST ATMOSPHERIC THERMODYNAMICS, RADIATION, AND CONVECTIVE DYNAMICS IN THE INNER CORE OF TROPICAL CYCLONES (TCS). THE GOAL DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE NASA STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE TO ENABLE IMPROVED PREDICTIVE CAPABILITY FOR WEATHER AND EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS. NEAR-SURFACE WINDS ARE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO AND INDICATORS OF MOMENTUM AND ENERGY FLUXES AT THE AIR/SEA INTERFACE. UNDERSTANDING THE COUPLING BETWEEN THE SURFACE WINDS AND THE MOIST ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE TC INNER CORE IS KEY TO PROPERLY MODELING AND FORECASTING ITS GENESIS AND INTENSIFICATION. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IS THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN STORM INTENSITY FORECASTS OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, RELATIVE TO FORECASTS OF STORM TRACK. ADVANCES IN TRACT FORECAST HAVE RESULTED IN LARGE PART FROM THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING OF THE MESOSCALE AND SYNOPTIC ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING A TC. THE HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THE LACK OF AN ACCOMPANYING IMPROVEMENT IN INTENSITY FORECAST IS LARGELY DUE TO A LACK OF OBSERVATIONS AND PROPER MODELING OF THE TC INNER CORE. THE INADEQUACY IN OBSERVATIONS RESULTS FROM TWO CAUSES. 1. MUCH OF THE INNER CORE OCEAN SURFACE IS OBSCURED FROM CONVENTIONAL REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS BY INTENSE PRECIPITATION IN THE EYE WALL AND INNER RAIN BANDS. 2. THE RAPIDLY EVOLVING GENESIS AND INTENSIFICATION STAGES OF THE TC LIFE CYCLE ARE POORLY SAMPLED BY CONVENTIONAL POLAR-ORBITING, WIDE-SWAT IMAGERS. CYGNSS ADDRESSES THESE TWO LIMITATIONS BY COMBINING THE ALL-WEATHER PERFORMANCE OF GPS-BASED BISTATIC SCATTEROMETRY WITH THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SAMPLING PROPERTIES OF A CONSTELLATION OF OBSERVATORIES. THE CONSTELLATION CONSISTS OF INDIVIDUAL GPS SURFACE REFLECTION RECEIVERS FLOWN ON 8 NANOSATELLITES. THIS PROVIDES THE ABILITY TO MEASURE THE OCEAN SURFACE WINDS WITH UNPRECEDENTED TEMPORAL RESOLUTION AND SPATIAL COVERAGE UNDER ALL PRECIPITATING CONDITIONS, UP TO AND INCLUDING THOSE EXPERIENCED IN THE HURRICANE EYEWALL. CYGNSS ACHIEVES ITS GOAL USING INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS OF EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES, LABORATORY TESTED AND VERIFIED IN A RELEVANT ENVIRONMENT, TO AVOID THE RISKS INHERENT WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
Place of Performance
Location: Michigan, 48109
State: Michigan Government Spending