About the Office of Satellite and Product Operations

OFFICE OF SATELLITE AND PRODUCT OPERATIONS
Greg Marlow - Director

The Office of Satellite Products and Operations (OSPO) collects, processes, and distributes environmental satellite data and derived products about Earth's weather, atmosphere, oceans, land, and near-space conditions to domestic and foreign users. OSPO manages and directs the operation of the central ground facilities which ingest, process, and distribute environmental satellite data and derived products to domestic and foreign users. OSPO maintains a continuous and reliable stream of satellite data and products.

SATELLITE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES DIVISION
Thomas Renkevens - Chief
Christopher O'Connors - Deputy Chief

The Satellite Products and Services Division (SPSD) serves as the primary interface with the user community of environmental satellite products and broadcast services by issuing user notifications, answering inquiries and performing outreach and user education. SPSD provides automated satellite products and interpretative analyses of environmental hazards using data from NOAA polar orbiting and geostationary satellites as well as Non-NOAA satellites. These satellite products are distributed to NOAA programs and field offices, U.S. Government agencies, academia and commercial organizations for a broad range of environmental applications. SPSD works with research partners to develop and implement new and enhanced satellite products into operations and provides oversight for satellite broadcast services including Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT), the Argos and GOES Data Collection Services, Low Rate Information Transfer (LRIT) service and GEONETCast. SPSD also oversees a quality assurance program that is used to systematically evaluate and manage the performance of satellite products and services and to ensure their continuous improvement.

SATELLITE PRODUCTS BRANCH
Antonio "Ricky" Irving - Chief

The Satellite Products Branch ensures the seamless transition of products and analysis techniques from research to operations and provide full lifecycle stewardship of operational products from development to product retirement. The Branch works closely with the NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR), the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA), and NWS’ National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) to ensure that advanced satellite data and analysis techniques are incorporated into NOAA’s numerical modeling activities. The Branch continuously monitors the quality of NESDIS operational product portfolio, evaluates system and product performance, and provides corrective maintenance and adaptive software maintenance as needed. The Branch utilizes interactive processing technology to integrate multiple satellite sensor data streams into new blended operationally supported products. The Branch serves as the NESDIS focal point for the development of new major digital products, and for the development and implementation of interactive workstation technology, and image processing capabilities used for operational applications of environmental satellite data.

SATELLITE ANALYSIS BRANCH
Davida Streett - Chief

The Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) mission is to analyze satellite imagery, integrated with ancillary datasets, to create briefings and products that enable its users to mitigate disasters and environmental hazards including tropical storms, heavy precipitation, fires and smoke, airborne volcanic ash and marine pollution (oil spills). Users of SAB's 24 x 7 x 365 interpretive satellite analysis products include all NOAA Line Offices, federal, state, local, and foreign government agencies, emergency responders and the public. Maintaining the quality and user utility of these life-saving products requires integrating cutting edge science, an increasingly broad array of satellite capabilities and techniques, continually expanded data distribution means and active user-oriented outreach.

DIRECT SERVICES BRANCH
Mark Turner - Chief

The Direct Services Branch manages the satellite transmission services the provide operational data, derived products and support for the worldwide direct readout community who are given free, unrestricted access to the scientific data directly from the NOAA satellites. The Branch also administers the GOES Data Collection (DCS), the Argos Data Collection and Locations Systems used by researchers, governmental and environmental organizations worldwide and is the United States operator for the international Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system, utilizing NOAA satellites, dedicated to saving persons in distress on land or water.