This afternoon the full House Science Committee is holding a hearing on the status of the NPOESS satellite program, in the wake of the completion of the Nunn-McCurdy preview. (2:30pm, Rayburn 2318; the meeting will be webcast) According to a committee media advisory, the hearing will tackle these issues:
- Are the new launch dates and cost estimate for NPOESS realistic?
- What capabilities are lost in the new NPOESS program?
- Are critical weather forecasting capabilities maintained and/or improved in the new NPOESS program?
- What are the underlying assumptions (technical, cost, and schedule) that support the new NPOESS program design?
- Are there better alternatives than the one chosen in the Nunn-McCurdy review, especially for fulfilling civilian needs such as climate science?
Another thing to keep in mind is that two leading Democrats on the committee, ranking member Bart Gordon and David Wu, ranking member of the environment, technology, and standards subcommittee, have publicly called for the dismissal of NOAA administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. and his deputy, John J. Kelly Jr. They reiterated those demands in a letter by Rep. Wu and an op-ed by Rep. Gordon in this week’s issue of Space News. Lautenbacher is one of the three witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing.
