Brief history of the NPP/NPOESS Calibration & Validation plans

NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) is a joint program between NASA and IPO. In the early phases of the NPP project, both NASA and IPO had two (2) separate Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Plans in their Configuration Management (CM) organization. In the middle of 2001, discussions were initiated between Dr. Robert Murphy (NASA NPP Project Scientist) and Dr. Stephen Mango (IPO Chief Scientist) to join their Government effort, and work on a single Government Cal/Val Plan for the NPP mission. The merging of these two Cal/Val plans started in October of 2001 through a cal/val workshop, where more than 100 experts have participated and provided their inputs to the Joint IPO/NASA Government NPP Calibration and Product Validation Plan. This Joint IPO/NASA Government NPP Cal/Val plan was released in December 28, 2001, just in time to make it available to the two (2) SSPR contractors bidding for NPOESS system, TRW (now NGST) and Lockeed Martin.

NGST, now SSPR contractor (since August 2002), is working with the Government team to build a Joint NGST/Government Calibration and Validation plan for the NPP mission. This Joint NGST/Government NPP Cal/Val plan is the Volume 12 of a series of 14 Volumes being developed by NGST. These NGST 14 Volumes are 10 Cal/Val plans for NPOESS sensors, 2 Cal/Val plans for NPOESS missions C1 and C2, one Cal/Val Plan Overview, and 1 Joint NGST/Government Cal/Val Plan for the NPP mission.

NASA contributors to the Joint NGST/Government NPP Cal/Val plan are:
Hassan Ouaidrari for VIIRS
Joseph Lyu for ATMS
Sam Gasster for CRIS