Marshall Space Flight Center
Science Achievements 2024
Earth Science
NASA SPoRT Geostationary Lightning Mapper Stoplight Product Considered “Go-To” Product by National Weather Service Office
The work of the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center’s (SPoRT’s) Dr. Christopher Schultz, Michael Antia, Roger Allen, Kristopher White, and Kelley Murphy to develop and display the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Stoplight Product has helped the National Weather Service (NWS) support safety at various events. Most recently, forecasters at the NWS office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin referred to the Stoplight Product as one of their “go-tos” for increasing awareness and providing event decision makers with the likelihood that lightning will impact their event. One forecaster spoke on how the stoplight product aided him during his weather briefings while he was on-site providing weather support for the U.S. Secret Service at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
NASA’s SERVIR Science Coordination Office Launches Farm Action Toolkit Service in Bhutan
Dr. Aparna Phalke, Sarah Cox, and Tony Kim traveled to Thimphu, Bhutan, to represent the SERVIR Science Coordination Office (SCO) at the official launch of the Farm Action Toolkit service on May 17, 2024. The Farm Action Toolkit was co-developed by SERVIR and Bhutan’s implementing partners to support their mission to obtain food self-sufficiency and save operational costs. This service provides 30-meter scale cropland, paddy, and maize area maps and paddy yield estimations covering mountainous and marginal farmlands across Bhutan from 2002 to 2023.
Kim, Phalke, and Cox conducted in-person outreach events at the Royal Thimphu College and Royal University of Bhutan’s (RUB) College of Natural Resources on May 14 and May 24, respectively. Over 100 students from each academic institution participated in the outreach events, which focused on how to leverage Earth observations to address immediate environmental issues in Bhutan.
Following the launch, a SERVIR SCO service team led by Phalke and Bhutan’s partner team from Druk Holding and Investments Limited (DHI) performed surveys of agricultural fields across the Thimphu, Punakha, and Paro areas of Bhutan using GPS, helmet data collection with GoPro cameras and drones. The team interviewed individual farmers from rice cultivation areas with pest, disease, and water related issues. They also collected market analysis data from over 50 vendors and interviewed farmers on agricultural commodities and the supply chain. These field surveys will play a significant role in the operation and adoption of the Farm Action Toolkit service.
