/ 
HISTORY 
OF 
AIR  FORCE  GLOBAL  WEATHER  CENTRAL  (AFGWC) 
OFFUTT  AIR  FORCE  BASE,  NEBRASKA 
1  JANUARY  1983  -  30  JUNE  1983 
EDITED  BY 
CAPTAIN  MARY  J.  CARR 
WING  HISTORIAN 
RCS:   HAF-CHO  (AR)  7101 
REVIEWED  BY: 
C.  BARNUM 
COLONEL,  USAF 
30  SEPTEMBER  1983 
AIR  WEATHER  SERVICE  (AWS) 
MILITARY  AIRLIFT  COMMAND  (MAC) 
UNITED  STATES  AIR  FORCE
SATELLITES 
Meteorological  Satellite  (METSAT)  Status.  Several  METSATs  were 
launched  during  the  last  6  months  and  one  was  declared  to  be 
nonopera tional • 
a.  DMSP  Satellite  F6.  F6  was  launched  on  20  December  1982  as  a 
replacement  for  DMSP  satellite  F3.  On  11  January  1983,  Space  Division 
(SD)/YD,  the  DMSP  System  Program  Office,  declared  F6  to  be 
operational.  All  sensors,  with  the  exception  of  the  SSH/2  Infrared 
Sounder,  have  been  working  normally  and  providing  excellent  data  to 
AFGWC.  The  SSH/2  sensor  has  not  provided  any  useful  information  since 
launch  due  to  unknown  problems  with  the  sensor. 
Additional  problems  were  identified  with  the  quality  of  imagery  due  to 
the  presence  of  "sun  glare"  and  "moon  glare"  anomalies  during  certain 
portions  of  a  read  out.  These  particular  problems  are  not  likely  to 
be  eliminated  and  will  vary  in  severity  according  to  the  season. 
b.  DMSP  Satellite  F3.  On  18  February  1983,  SD/YD  declared  DMSP 
satellite  F3  to  be  nonopera tional  so  that  engineering  tests  could  be 
conducted  on  the  satellite.  F3  was  launched  in  May  1978.  The 
satellite  had  been  only  marginally  operational  since  a  severe 
Operational  Line  Scan  failure  in  December  1979  but  had  been  providing 
limited  useful  information  to  AFGWC. 
c.  NOAA-8.  The  National  Oceanic  and  Atmospheric  Administration 
(NOAA)  launched  NOAA-8  on  28  March  1983  as  a  replacement  for  NOAA-6 
(removed  from  operational  status  on  17  April  1983).  NOAA-8 
experienced  problems  shortly  after  launch  and  began  to  tumble  in 
orbit.  The  tumbling  problem  was  corrected  on  21  April  1983  and  the 
satellite  was  declared  operational  en  20  June  1983  as  a  replacement 
for  NOAA-6. 
d.  GOES-6.  NOAA  successfully  launched  the  GOES-6  satellite  on  28 
April  1983  as  a  replacement  for  GOES-4  which  failed  in  November  1982. 
GOES-6  was  declared  operational  on  1  June  1983. 
DMSP  Block  5D-2  Special  Sensor  Data  Processing  PAR  Amendment. 
AFGWC/DO  submitted  a  request  for  a  second  amendment  to  AFGWC  Special 
Sensing  Software  DAR  to  AWS/SYR  on  30  March  1983.  The  amendment  was 
required  due  to  a  projected  manpower  cost  overrun  of  4,000  hours.  The 
cost  overrun  was  caused  by  factors  such  as  the  continued  slip  of  the 
launch  of  DMSP  satellite  F6 ,  underestimation  of  the  tasks  involved  in 
the  project,  and  high  personnel  turnover.  See  TAB  7-1. 
DMSP  Data  for  the  Space  Command.  To  support  Space  Command 
requirements  for  DMSP  data,  AFGWC /ADV  began  providing  DMSP  data  from 
the  AFGWC  Satellite  Global  Data  Base  to  the  Space  Command/  CINCMORAD 
on  27  April  1983.   Data  is  transmitted  to  the  NORAD  Cheyenne  Mountain 
Ul?±
Complex  Weather  Support  Unit  over  a  dedicated  circuit  by  the  1st 
Aerospace  Communications  Group  using  an  UPI  UNIFAX  transmitter. 
NORAD  Support.  AFGWC/ADV  was  tasked  to  support  NORAD  with  eight 
Satellite  Global  Data  Base  (SGDB)  products.  These  products  were 
transmitted  to  the  12th  Weather  Squadron  via  laser  fax  on  a  daily 
basis.  Support  began  on  4  May  1983  and  will  continue  indefinitely. 
1st  Weather  Squadron  Support.  AFGWC/ADV  was  tasked  to  support  1st 
Weather  Squadron  with  one  Satellite  Global  Data  Base  product.  This 
product  was  transmitted  to  MacDill  AFB  via  laserfax  on  a  daily  basis. 
Support  began  on  1  January  1983  and  will  continue  indefinitely. 
TAC  WSU  GOES  Support  Dropped.  AFGWC/ADV  support  of  the  TAC  Weather 
Support  Unit  at  Langley  AFB  was  dropped  on  1  June  1983.  The  WSU 
installed  a  "GOES  Tap"  of  their  own  and  no  longer  needed  the  GOES 
products  provided  by  ADV. 
Enhancement  Additions  to  CDM  (Central  Display  Modification) . 
Additional  enhancement  hardware  was  added  to  the  Central  Display 
Modification  (CDM)  in  January  1983.  These  additions  provided  a 
broader  range  of  enhancement  table  curves  in  the  CDMs,  including 
hurricane  detection  enhancements.  Mr  Gerald  Schoofs  of  Westinghouse 
Corp  completed  the  project  between  3  and  19  January  1983 « 
AWS  DMSP  Meteorological  Satellite  (METSAT)  Coordinates  (MSC) 
Conference.  AWS  and  AFGWC  co-hosted  the  first  AWS  DMSP  MSC  conference 
at  AFGWC  from  11  to  15  April  1983.  This  conference  brought  together 
the  METSAT  Satellite  coordinators  from  all  levels  within  AWS  to 
discuss  DMSP  problems  and  procedures,  to  crossfeed  information,  and  to 
provide  orientation  and  training.  Over  20  people  attended  and  most 
DMSP  units  were  represented.  1  WW  was  the  only  major  DMSP  users  that 
did  not  participate.  The  conference  was  very  successful  and  should 
improve  the  interface  between  AFGWC  and  the  tactical  DMSP  users. 
Captain  Alan  L.  Adams,  AFGWC/DOX,  was  the  AFGWC  project  officer  for 
the  conference. 
Mission  Sensor  Processing  Mass  Storage  Requirements.  Mission  sensors 
on  the  DMSP  satellites  are  those  sensors  other  than  primary  imaging 
sensors.  Future  DMSP  satellites  contain  more  and  different  sensors. 
Significant  changes  are  being  made  in  mass  storage  to  support  these 
sensors.  Numerous  discussions  between  AFGWC/ADSS,  AFGWC/ADSD,  and 
AFGWC/ADO  took  place  from  March  through  June  1983.  AFGWC/ADSS 
concerns  centered  on  the  launch  of  DMSP  F-7  as  an  immediate  problem, 
and  DMSP's  F-8  and  F-9  as  long-term  problems  (TABS  7-2  and  7-3). 
On  17  May  1983,  a  meeting  was  held  to  resolve  these  problems.  The 
accepted  solution  was  to  create  an  additional  removable  disk  pack 
named  "SATDT"  and  operate  it  in  the  "spare"  drive  on  AFGWC  computer 
system  Logical  5.  The  extra  space  available  will  be  used  for 
satellite  data  files.  That  space  solves  all  problems  with  satellite 
F-7  and  F-8.   However,  additional  work  done  in  June  D)  showed  that 
mv
satellite  F-9,  the  first  satellite  with  a  microwave  imager,  will  more 
than  fill  the  available  space.  Satellite  F-9  is  not  scheduled  for 
several  more  years,  but,  if  F-9  is  launched  before  the  computer 
systems  3/5/6  hardware  upgrade,  then  AFGWC  will  not  be  able  to  process 
the  microwave  imager  data  (TABS  7-4  and  7-5). 
Orbital  Element  Set  Errors.  On  3  June  1983,  TSgt  Gerald  W.  Stark,  a 
Satellite  Data  Scheduling  Programmer,  AFGWC/ADSS,  detected  a  serious 
error  in  the  orbital  element  sets  of  all  weather  satellites.  He 
discovered  a  20  second  time  error  while  building  schedule  and 
ephemeris  files  from  element  sets  that  NORAD,  at  Cheyenne  Mountain, 
Colorado,  had  just  updated.  The  ephemeris  files  provide  satellite 
locations  and  altitudes  to  data  mapping  programs,  and  the  20  second 
error  would  have  produced  mapping  errors  of  over  60  nautical  miles. 
Mapping  errors  that  large  would  have  been  disastrous  to  AFGWC 's 
mission  support  for  Air  Force  Precedence  1-1  Programs.  TSgt  Stark 
pursued  the  cause  of  the  error.  He  summoned  help  from  orbital 
analysts  at  the  1000  Satellite  Operations  Group,  Offutt  AFB,  NE,  and 
daily,  they  worked  with  the  orbital  analysts  at  NORAD.  The  error's 
cause  was  finally  identified  and  corrected  on  7  June,  and  new  schedule 
and  ephemeris  files  were  prepared  without  incident  or  mission  impact. 
The  problem  was  significant  for  all  NORAD  data  users  because  it 
affected  all  orbital  element  sets  produced  by  NORAD. 
Satellite  Data  Processing.  On  30  June  1983,  AFGWC  was  computer 
processing  all  imagery  data  from  TIROS  satellite  NOAA-7,  all  imagery 
data  from  DMSP  satellite  F-6,  and  all  available  Mission  Sensor  data 
from  DMSP  satellite  F-6.  The  operational  F-6  Mission  Sensors  include 
a  Gamma  Ray  Detector,  Ionospheric  Plasma  Monitor,  and  Precipitating 
Electron/ Proton  Spectrometer.  When  DMSP  F-6  became  operational  on  20 
January  1983,  computer  processing  of  TIROS  NOAA-6  ended.  However, 
AF3WC  forecasters  continued  to  make  manual  use  of  NOAA-6  pictures.  On 
27  March  1983,  TIROS  Satellite  NOAA-8  was  launched  to  replace  the 
ailing  satellite  NOAA-6.  NOAA-8  tumbled  after  orbital  insertion,  and 
it  took  6  weeks  to  regain  attitude  control.  During  the  period  10  to 
17  May  1983,  the  transition  from  NOAA-8  was  made,  and  AFGWC 
forecasters  continued  manual  use  of  NOAA-8  pictures  through  June 
1933.  The  total  amount  of  satellite  data  available  and  computer 
processed,  at  AFGWC  was  greater  during  this  period  than  at  any 
previous  time  in  AFGWC  history.  On  30  June  1983,  AFGWC/DOX,  tasked 
AFGWC/ADSS  to  prepare  software  for  the  launch  of  DMSP  satellite  F-7. 
The  total  tasking  was  2410  work-hours.  Over  half  the  work  was 
processing  programs  for  four  new  Mission  Sensors.  The  Mission  Sensors 
on  F-7  included  an  X-Ray  Detector,  Ionospheric  Plasma  Monitor, 
Precipitating  Electron/Proton  Spectrometer,  Dosimeter,  Magetometer, 
and  Microwave  Temperature  Sounder. 
DMSP  F-6  Data  Clock  Problem.  Second  Lieutenant  Tracy  L.  Godfrey, 
AFGWC / ADS S solved 
an important  satellite  data  processing  problem  on 
8  February  1983.  DMSP  (Defense  Meteorological  Satellite  Program) 
satellite  F-6  became  operational  in  late  January  1983.   Immediately,
ADSS  began  having  satellite  data  processing  failures  for  satellite 
readouts  that  included  00Z  data  times.  Second  Lieutenant  Godfrey 
carefully  researched  the  problem  and  found  the  satellite's  data 
labeling  clock,  which  must  be  reset  to  00  every  24  hours,  was  being 
reset  in  two  12-hour  steps  instead  of  a  single  24-hour  step*  The 
7  seconds  of  data  generated  between  the  two  steps  was  lost  because  the 
times  attached  were  in  error  by  12  hours.  Second  Lieutenant  Godfrey 
changed  our  processing  programs  to  recognize  clock  errors  of  12  hours 
and  corrected  them.  The  Westinghouse  programmers  were  able  to  correct 
the  source  of  the  problem  in  May  1983.  Second  Lieutenant  Godfrey's 
temporary  correction  prevented  4  months  of  AF  Precedence  1-1  mission 
support  impact. 
Satellite  Sounding  Restacking  Program.  The  satellite  sounding 
restacking  program  (MOD  TOVS/DMSP  Procedure  WF  20183)  was  implemented 
on  29  April  1983.  This  new  program  ensures  that  the  satellite 
sounding  thickness  values  are  converted  to  heights  above  sea  level 
using  the  best  available  analysis  or  forecast  field  to  fix  the  height 
of  the  base  pressure  level.  This  refinement  of  satellite  sounding 
data  processing  has  resulted  in  increased  accurate  positioning  of 
fronts  and  related  pressure  features.  The  project  manager  was 
SSgt  Roger  P.  Shipp,  HQ  APGWC/ADSV  (TAB  7-6). 
Meteosat  Winds  Project.  The  Meteosat  winds  project  was  completed  on 
7  March  1983.  This  project  consisted  of  a  modification  of  the 
satellite  derived,  wind  decoder  so  that  it  correctly  decodes  the 
anomalous  satellite  observation  reports  whose  data  originates  from  the 
European  Meteosat  satellite.  These  reports  have  provided  valuable 
wind  data  in  data-sparse  oceanic  regions  in  the  European  and  African 
World  Meteorological  Organization  regions.  The  project  manager  was 
1st  Lt  Mark  F.  Storz,  AFGWC/ADSV. 
DMSP  Special  Sensor  H  (SSH-2)  Demise.  The  DMSP  infrared  special 
sensor  H  (SSH-2)  has  not  worked  since  it  was  inadvertently  turned  off 
on  22  December  1982.  (Upon  turning  it  back  on,  the  sr.an  could  no 
longer  be  synchronized.)*  After  several  months  of  attempting  to 
correct  the  problem,  the  sensor  was  unofficially  declared  defunct  in 
March  1983. 
DMSP  Microwave  Temperature  Special  Sensor  SSM/T.  With  the  demise  of 
Special  Sensor  H  (SSH-2),  AFGWC/TSIE  focused  their  attention  on  the 
launch  of  the  DMSP  microwave  temperature  special  sensor  SSM/T.  The 
software  appeared  to  be  in  good  shape,  but  more  will  be  known  once  it 
has  been  tested  and  exercised  prior  to  the  launch  of  the  SSM/T  aboard 
DMSP  flight  F-7.  AFGWC/TSIE  has  been  in  close  contact  with  the 
National  Environmental  Satellite  Data  Information  Service  (NESDIS) 
concerning  joint  and  shared  processing  of  this  sensor's  data. 
AFGWC/TSIE  provided  NESDIS  documentation  and  other  assistance  in  their 
efforts  to  get  the  software  working  on  their  machines.
DMSP  Microwave  Imager  Special  Sensor  (SSM/I).  Hughes  Aircraft  Company 
(HAC)  not  only  built  the  DMSP  microwave  imager  special  sensor  SSM/I, 
they  developed  the  software  to  be  used  by  AFGWC  to  extract  the  various 
environmental  parameters.  This  software  will  also  be  maintained 
through  a  HAC  support  services  contract.  On  23-24  February  1983, 
members  of  the  HAC  team  briefed  their  software  tasks  overview  at  AFGWC 
and  on  16-17  June,  Major  Francis  X.  Neuman,  AFGWC/TSIE  and 
Captain  Robert  C.  Henry,  AFGWC/ADSS  traveled  to  Denver,  CO,  to 
participate  in  a  technical  review  of  those  tasks.  Hughes  Aircraft 
Company  appears  to  be  progressing  smoothly  in  their  development  and  no 
difficulties  are  foreseen  for  the  SSM/I,  which  will  be  aboard  the 
future  DMSP  flight  F-9.  The  report  of  visit  is  contained  in  TAB  7-7. 
Hardcopy  Image  Processing  System.  Major  Charles  C.  Olsen,  AFGWC/ADV, 
Major  Randolph  G.  Arbeiter,  AFGWC/ADSS,  and  TSgt  Richard  E.  Riley, 
AFGWC/ADV  were  TDY  at  Los  Angeles  A*  Station,  California,  from 
22  February  to  4  March,  to  represent  AFGWC  at  the  Hardcopy  Image 
Processing  System  (HIPS)  Source  Selection.  HIPS  is  intended  to 
produce  transparency  film  pictures  from  unprocessed  DMSP  or  satellite 
(TIROS)  digital  satellite  imagery  data.  HIPS  will  replace  15  year  old 
equipment  currently  in  use  by  the  Satellite  Operations  Branch 
(AFGWC/ADV).  The  Source  Selection  Committee  was  formed  mostly  of 
Space  Division  (AF  Systems  Command)  personnel,  but  the  interaction 
with  AFGWC  personnel  was  extensive  and  highly  successful.  The 
committee  concluded  that  the  proposals  received  were  not  adequate  and 
rejected  them.  The  HIPS  Request  for  Proposal  was  modified  to  be  more 
explicit  and  more  stringent.  The  Request  for  Proposal  has  been 
reissued  to  potential  contractors,  and  a  second  source  selection  was 
scheduled  for  August  1983. 
COMMUNICATIONS 
1  WW  Facsimile  Package.  Due  to  a  longstanding  deficiency  in  facsimile 
chart  coverage  and  continuity  along  the  equator  (30^N  to  30^S), 
AFGWC/D00  instituted  a  project  to  provide  this  coverage  for  1  WW.  On 
14  March  1983,  AFGWC/DOO  identified  the  requirement  for  14  additional 
NWS  prognoses  to  AWS/DOOX.  This  was  followed  by  a  request  on  23  March 
1983  to  OL-A/ AFGWC/ FNOC  requesting  coordination  by  the  Liaison  Officer, 
Lieutenant  Colonel  David  Leatherwood,  with  the  Navy  to  procure  seven 
additional  analyses  charts.  On  20  May  1983,  OL-A/ AFGWC /FNOC  provided 
examples  of  the  facsimile  charts  that  the  Navy  could  initially  provide. 
On  23  June  1983,  Mr  Eldon  Schmidt,  AWS/DOK,  tasked  NWS  to  provide  the 
prognoses  requested  (TAB  7-8).  This  project  required  much  interagency 
coordination  and  is  expected  to  be  completed  in  late  1983.  For 
additional  information,  see  OL-A  input  in  Chapter  1,  this  history 
period. 
Joint  Surveillance  System  (JSS).  The  JSS  is  a  replacement  for  the 
NORAD  BUIC/SAGE  system  and  is  designed  to  provide  for  the  aerospace 
defense  of  the  US  and  Canada.   When  fully  operational,  the  JSS  will
have  Region  Operation  Control  Centers  (ROCCs)  at  the  following 
locations: 
Southeast  Tyndall  AFB,  Florida 
Northwest  McChord  AFB,  Washington 
Southwest  March  AFB,  California 
Northeast  Griff iss  AFB,  New  York 
Alaskan  Elmendorf  AFB,  Alaska 
Hawaiian  Wheeler  AFB,  Hawaii 
Canadian  East  North  Bay,  Canada 
Canadian  West  North  Bay,  Canada 
AFGWC  provides  meteorological  products  to  the  ROCCs  via  teletype  and 
through  a  dedicated  circuit  in  a  computer- to-computer  mode.  Prior  to 
1  January  1983,  the  dedicated  circuit  was  used  to  transmit  products  to 
the  SE  and  NW  ROCCs.  Since  that  time,  transmission  of  products  to  all 
the  remaining  ROCCs  except  the  Hawaiian  has  been  initiated. 
SAC  Digital  Network  (SACDIN).  AFGWC  currently  provides  meteorological 
support  to  the  Strategic  Air  Command  (SAC)  command  post  and  certain 
missile  launch  facilities  through  the  SAC  Automated  Command  Control 
System  (SACCS).  SACDIN  is  a  communications  upgrade  for  SACCS.  As 
part  of  the  upgrade,  the  existing  dedicated  circuit  and  communications 
equipment  (modems,  cryptographic  units,  etc)  between  AFGWC  and  the  SAC 
command  post  will  be  replaced.  The  new  circuit  and  equipment  are  in 
place  but  have  not  been  used  operationally.  Between  January  and  June 
1983,  AFGWC  worked  with  personnel  from  HQ  SAC,  International  Telephone 
and  Telegraph  Corporation,  Mitre  Corporation,  the  Electronics  Systems 
Division  of  AFSC,  and  the  AFCC  Programming  Center  to  develop 
procedures  to  check  out  the  new  system.  Testing  is  to  begin  in  July 
1983  and  extend  through  September  1983. 
AFGWC  Future  Communications  Initiatives.  In  February  1983,  as  a 
result  of  communication  planning  activities  at  USAFETAC  and  AFGWC/DOP 
program  activities  of  SDHS,  AWDS,  CFEP,  JOCS,  and  AWAPS,  a  strawman 
communications  architecture  and  a  conceptual  future  communication  plan 
was  developed.  A  paper  (TAB  7-9)  presents  this  strawman  position 
concerning  AFGWC  communications  activities.  The  thrust  of  this  effort 
was  to  ensure  that  ad  hoc  decisions  do  not  drive  our  communications 
architecture.  This  point  paper  was  coordinated  and  concurred  with 
USAFETAC  in  June  1983.  Staffing  effort  was  begun  to  deliver  this 
point  paper  to  HQ  AWS  for  information  and  use  in  working  AFGWC 
communication  activities. 
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