65th IHC Booklet/Program (pdf - 4.9MB) - Office of the Federal ...

Tools for Coordinating Aircraft During Hurricane Field Campaigns
Rich Blakeslee 1 , Michael Goodman 1 , John Hall 2 , Matt He 2 , Paul Meyer 1 , Michelle Garrett 2 ,
Kathryn Regner 2 , Helen Conover 2 , Tammy Smith 2
(richard.blakeslee@nasa.gov)
1 National Aeronautics and Space Administration; 2 University of Alabama in Huntsville
The NASA Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a situational awareness decision-support
tool that integrates real time aircraft tracks, waypoints, satellite imagery, radar products, surface
observations, model output parameters and airborne remote sensing variables in an easy to use
and view web-based application. RTMM enables real time decision-making for mission
scientists, pilots, mission managers, instrument scientists and program managers by providing
up-to-date information about the weather, spacecraft, and the location, altitude and heading of
the aircraft.
The Real Time Mission Monitor optimizes both airborne science experimental field campaigns
and operational science aircraft missions. The second-generation version of RTMM is now fully
integrated into a web browser portal and no longer relies on the standalone Google Earth
application. The implementation in a web browser makes it easy for any authorized user
anywhere with an Internet connection to follow and coordinate aircraft tracking during dynamic
hurricane aircraft missions.
The Real Time Mission Monitor is a proven tool having been used in many field experiments
from arctic forest fire missions to soil moisture mapping as well as tracking the BP Gulf Oil spill.
In the summer of 2010, RTMM was integral to the success of the PREDICT, GRIP, and IFEX
coordinated manned and unmanned hurricane flights. An overview of the use of RTMM during
the 2010 hurricane flights, its planned usage in 2011 and potential future manned and unmanned
aircraft flights will be described. RTMM animations of the 2010 hurricane flights and
demonstrations of RTMM and the pre-flight waypoint planning tool will be provided.
Session 12 – Page 8