Impacts of Delays and Cost Overruns on Nation’s Weather Satellites “Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight Chairman Paul Broun (R-GA) and Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) held a hearing yesterday on the status of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) polar-orbiting and geostationary weather satellites. Two Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports on the respective satellite systems were released at the hearing.” – Geostationary Weather Satellites: Design […]

Image: Suomi NPP’s View of North America “Suomi NPP’s VIIRS instrument returned this hi-resolution full-disc image of the Earth from several passes made Jan. 4, 2012. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) mission represents a critical first step in building the next-generation Earth-observing satellite system that will collect data on both long-term climate change and short-term weather conditions.”

NASA Launches Multi-Talented Earth-Observing Satellite PCAST Meeting Featured Bolden (2011), earlier post “Bolden also refered to NPOESS as “one of my nightmares” and that it is “also one of John Holdren’s nightmares” and “we won’t talk about that unless you really want to”. – Hearing on Polar Weather Satellites(2011), earlier post – The NPOESS “Headache” Just Got Worse(2011), earlier post – NPOESS Woes Continue (2009), earlier post – Prepared Statements […]

House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Committee Democrats See Some Progress on JPSS, Urge Stable Funding “The National Polar Orbiting Satellite System (NPOESS) was to be the United States’ next-generation satellite system to monitor the Earth’s weather, atmosphere, oceans, land and near-space environment, replacing the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) and NOAA’s polar orbiting satellites. However, the polar orbiting satellite acquisition program was neglected and mismanaged.” Troubled Weather Satellite’s Future […]

NASA OIG: NASA’s Management of the NPOESS Preparatory Project “NASA Inspector General Paul Martin today released a report that found NASA has incurred approximately $304 million in additional costs for an important meteorological satellite due to failures by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Air Force to deliver instruments and other critical components to NASA in a timely manner. As a result, the project has experienced a […]

Keith’s note: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project started under NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Associate Administrator Ed Weiler. Virtually all of its chronic and unabated cost increases and schedule slips have occured under Weiler’s watch either at NASA HQ or at NASA GSFC. When former SMD AA Alan Stern tried to bring the escalating costs of programs such as JWST and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) under control, in […]