Global Science & Technology’s West Virginia Project to See Major Impact from Next Generation Weather Satellite

FAIRMONT, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On October 28 the most advanced weather satellite ever developed was launched. The vehicle, NASA's National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project or NPP is the first mission designed to collect critical data to improve weather forecasts in the short-term and increase our understanding of long-term climate change. The data, estimated to be at the terabyte level will end up in a massive electronic library worked on by a high tech staff in West Virginia and around the nation. The environmental data system is called the Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System or CLASS.

“We are experiencing large volumes of data from this next generation polar orbiting weather satellite which is several orders of magnitude greater than today”

More than 70 software developers and engineers support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) project around the nation. According to Don Mack, President of the prime contractor Diversified Global Partners (DGP) and NOAA/CLASS Project Manager; NPP is the first of a series of satellites that will replace an aging fleet to provide the scientific community with data that will make help improve weather forecasting and climate science.

“We are experiencing large volumes of data from this next generation polar orbiting weather satellite which is several orders of magnitude greater than today,” explained Mack. “We are not only the archive; we are the only distributor of the NPP data to NASA and NOAA science teams.”

The CLASS program supports the mission of NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service to archive and disseminate environmental data. The development of CLASS incorporates new environmental data into the its architecture. Since 2001, Global Science & Technology has been supporting the NOAA/CLASS mission by providing highly effective, secure and reliable computing and telecommunications resources, while also identifying methods for applying information technology to improve performance and reduce costs. Global Science & Technology is part of a joint venture known as Diversified Global Partners JV LLC that is jointly owned with partner DB Consulting Group Inc. DGP was awarded the NOAA/CLASS contract in 2008. The contract has a maximum ordering value of $200 million over the potential nine-year period of performance.

The DGP NOAA/CLASS team consists of the Joint Venture partners DB Consulting Group Inc and Global Science & Technology Inc. and subcontractors Computer Sciences Corporation, Operational Systems Inc and SM Resources Corporation.