ASTER science data processing development: a look back

ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) is a 14 band, imaging instrument built by Japan and flying on the Terra spacecraft. The US ASTER Science Team is responsible for developing the algorithms and software for generating eight Level 1 standard data products. This paper discusses the approach used for that development and evaluates its effectiveness. The approach worked very well, resulting in timely software deliveries, few software problems, and products that met quality expectations. One of the key elements of this approach was to shield the algorithm developers from the complex and bureaucratic system environment that the software runs in. Another was a conservative schedule that was driven by the software rather than the algorithm developers, and vigorously enforced by management. And a third element was an independent test team that developed a variety of test tools, allowing rigorous, automated testing