New aerial drones available to NOAA programs
The Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Division is rolling out a new initiative that will provide new drones, or uncrewed aircraft systems, to NOAA users.
The Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Division is rolling out a new initiative that will provide new drones, or uncrewed aircraft systems, to NOAA users.
In fall of 2024 NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Operations Center, their industry partner Exail and academic partner the University of Rhode Island Inner Space Center conducted field operations utilizing an uncrewed marine system.
As NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson set sail from Kodiak, Alaska to collect data in support of annual stock assessments this summer, it had a new data gathering partner onboard.
From July 17 to Aug. 4, 2023, a team of NOAA and industry uncrewed aircraft professionals conducted flight operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Lompoc, California, to expand the agency’s use of uncrewed aircraft to gather mission critical data.
NOAA has awarded three Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts to five small business manufacturers of uncrewed marine systems with a potential combined value of $22.5 million. IDIQ contracts allow the agency to streamline the processing and delivery of commercial products and services from industry vendors.
Uncrewed aircraft and marine systems have great potential to enhance and expand the ways that NOAA meets its mission to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, ocean and coasts.
The NOAA Uncrewed Systems Operations Center has selected nine projects that use private-sector operated uncrewed marine systems in an innovative partnership to collect data for NOAA missions. In total, $7.5 million will be allocated in fiscal year 2023.
At NOAA, we are always looking for the safest and most efficient way to collect the data we need. These days, innovative technology plays a big part in that.