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Shared Processing

The US Air Force, US Navy, and NOAA participate in a interagency program referred to as the Shared Processing Program (SPP). The term "Shared Processing" has been applied to the sharing of data, products and associated information derived from the polar environmental satellite programs of the DOD's Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), and NOAA's Polar Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) program.

The US Air Force SPP center is the Air Force Global Weather Central (AFGWC), Offutt AFB, NE. The NOAA center is the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), Suitland, MD. The Navy centers are the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC), Monterey, CA and the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), Bay St. Louis, MS. AFGWC is designated as the Center of Expertise (COE) for visible and infrared mapped imagery, NESDIS is the COE for atmospheric soundings, FNMOC is the COE for microwave (SSM/I, currently) products, and NAVOCEANO is the COE for Global Sea Surface Temperatures (MCSST).

Satellite data bases located at each center are accessed via a dedicated, domestic satellite wideband channel. Costs of this communication channel are equally shared between the Air Force, Navy, and NOAA. Each partner is responsible for distribution of SPP products and data to their respective user communities. NOAA is responsible for distribution and archive of SPP data and products to the civilian user community.

Ingrid Guch
Last revised: March 28, 2001 (KCS)