Robert M. Candey is the Project Scientist for the Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) and archive for non-solar heliophysics data, and Data Systems Architect for the Heliospheric Physics laboratory at NASA GSFC. He specializes in scientific data analysis, visualization and sonification techniques, systems engineering, optics engineering, distributed computing, and information research. He is the author or co-author of over 60 scientific and computing articles and presentations dealing with magnetospheric physics, planetary radio emissions, sonification, visualization, and space science engineering. Mr. Candey holds an MS in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins University and a BS in Optics Engineering from the University of Rochester. He has been working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center since 1983.
Lead designer and developer of interlocking space physics data analysis and modeling systems. Defined requirements and overall system designs for CDAWeb (space physics data display), SSCweb (spacecraft orbit data), MakeCDF (binary and text data input into CDF files), SKTeditor (CDF metadata editor), trapped radiation modeling system. Wrote various IDL display programs used worldwide, particularly auroral_image.pro for mapping image data to the globe in any map projection and spectrogram.pro for plotting flux versus time and energy/frequency. Designed web services interfaces for SSC and CDAWeb and overseeing development of 3D orbit display for SSCweb. Applied these tools to science research projects in magnetospheric sounding, planetary radio emissions, and IMAGE, Dynamics Explorer, Hawkeye, Ulysses, Voyager, IMP-8, UARS, ISIS, and Galileo data analysis. [NASA Recognition: 2006 NASA Honor Award for the Sun Solar System (S3C) Active Archive Team, SPDF Web Services 2004, TIPSOD 2004; NASA/GSFC National Resource Awards: Solar Eruptive Events CDAW Org. Team, 2000; Sun Earth Connections Coordinated Data Analysis Tools and Services Group, 1999.] Co-Investigator, VITMO: A VxO for S3C Data for the Ionosphere-Mesosphere-Thermosphere Community, led by Daniel Morrison, JHU-APL. Principal Investigator for Heliophysics Event List Manager (HELM) and Dynamics Explorer (DE) Data Services Upgrades. Co-Investigator, ISEE Data Services Upgrades, led by Tim Eastman.
Led the re-engineering of the Polar-Wind-Geotail (PWG) ground system to automate and stream-line the data flow and product generation. This system includes the Near-Real Time processing; Key Parameter processing; Level-0 data distribution and archive; CD/DVD production; and Command Management System. The full PWG dataset was placed on-line for easy access by the space physics science community. After a period of parallel operations, the PWG data system went fully operational on 2002 September 27 after only 9 months of development. Without this effort, the PWG projects would have been faced with a serious financial and operational impact. This re-engineering is saving the Projects over $1.5 million in operating costs each year. [NASA and GSFC Group Achievement Awards: PWG Ground Systems Re-engineering Team.]
On the Dynamics Explorer (DE) and Voyager Projects, he performed various magnetospheric and ionospheric data analyses, and created a variety of programs for magnetospheric modeling, data analysis and display. He developed and constructed an intensified CCD camera system and operated ground observing stations in northern Canada and South America for chemical release experiments from sounding rockets, Pegasus Pegsat, and Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES).