Environmental Satellites
In: Environmental Science, Engineering and Technology
Intro -- ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITES: FEATURES AND ACQUISITION PLANS -- ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITES: FEATURES AND ACQUISITION PLANS -- Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- Chapter 1: GEOSTATIONARY OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITES: IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED IN CONTINUITY PLANNING AND INVOLVEMENT OF KEY USERS -- WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY -- WHAT GAO FOUND -- ABBREVIATIONS -- BACKGROUND -- Overview of the GOES-R Program -- Acquisition Strategy -- Program Office Structure -- Prior Report Noted Challenges with Instrument Development and Recommended Steps to Improve Management and Oversight -- GOES-R IS IN DEVELOPMENT, BUT DELAYS IN KEY PROGRAM MILESTONES HAVE ENDANGERED SATELLITE CONTINUITY -- Progress Continues to Be Made on GOES-R Procurement, but Much Work Remains to Be Completed on the Flight and Ground Projects -- Flight Project-Progress Made, but Two Instruments Have Experienced Technical Challenges -- Ground Project-Development Is Under Way, but Important Work Remains to Be Done -- Continued Delays in Launch Dates Put the Continuity of Satellite Operations at Risk -- NOAA HAS NOT ESTABLISHED ADEQUATE CONTINUITY PLANS FOR ITS GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITES -- NOAA'S EFFORTS TO INVOLVE EXTERNAL GOES DATA USERS, PRIORITIZE THEIR DATA NEEDS, AND COMMUNICATE PROGRAM STATUS HAVE SHORTFALLS -- Key GOES Data Users Have Been Identified, but Efforts to Involve Other Federal Agencies and Prioritize Their Data Needs Are Not Sufficient -- NOAA Has Not Effectively Communicated with Other Federal Agencies -- CONCLUSIONS -- RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION -- AGENCY COMMENTS -- APPENDIX I: OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY -- End Notes -- End Notes for Appendix I -- Chapter 2: ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITES: STRATEGY NEEDED TO SUSTAIN CRITICAL CLIMATE AND SPACE WEATHER MEASUREMENTS -- WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY -- WHAT GAO RECOMMENDS