The Systems Approach to the NOAA Satellite Observing Systems Architecture (NSOSA) Project
From 2014 to 2018 NOAA sponsored the NOAA Satellite Observing Systems Architecture (NSOSA) program, a comprehensive study of alternative approaches to environmental observation satellites to follow-on to the GOES-R and JPSS family. This study examined the widest possible range of alternatives, from legacy continuation to radical alternatives that would restructure both the technical and business architectures. This talk will describe the application of systems architecture and engineering methods to a large study of this type. We will cover broad study of the problem area, including stakeholder analysis, formulation of an observation-based value model, generation of diverse sensing and platform alternatives, and cost-benefit assessment from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Finally, we will discuss how the study has been applied and lessons for other analyses of alternatives.
Mark Maier has spent more than 40 years applying systems engineering to problems ranging from sensor design to satellite constellations. He starts is career with the Hughes Aircraft Company as a signal processing engineer. After completing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California he was a professor electrical and computer engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He then spent 26 years at The Aerospace Corporation, rising to the rank of Technical Fellow. At Aerospace his specialty was supporting new program start up efforts, primarily in satellite systems but with periods working on information and sensor systems. He is the co-author of The Art of Systems Architecting, now coming out in the 4th edition. He is currently Professor (Lecturer) at the University of Utah teaching courses on Model-Based Systems Engineering, Systems Architecting, and Aerospace Systems.