An AP article yesterday cites a confidential report sent to the White House last December by scientists concerned that changes in the NPOESS satellite program will limit their ability to monitor climate change. A reduction in the number of satellites, as well as elimination of instruments designed primarily to collect climate data, “places the overall climate program in serious jeopardy”, the AP reported. The report comes just as the energy and environment subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee is planning a hearing on NPOESS this Thursday. Since the hearing is taking place at the same time as the joint Senate-House hearing on the NASA inspector general, though, one wonders how much attention NPOESS will get.
NPOESS will get more attention. Frankly, the IG issue is boring to those of us with only a casual interest in space and/or politics. The NPOESS issue is more interesting in general and affects the environmental lobby, who have a built in constituancy to be alert to this type issue.
I agree. For those, such as myself, who do not have a professional knowledge about space and politics, it is very boring and hard to understand.
I wonder why the report was confidential? Jeff’s summary contains nothing that has not been in the news for a long time.
— Donald
[…] the hopeful wishes of some commenters, the hearing likely to get more attention is the joint House-Senate hearing “Oversight Review […]
And in related news, our hurricane warning satellite could fail at any time, and a successor is probably nine years away:
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/hurricane-satellite-could-fail-any-time/20070612162209990003?ncid=NWS00010000000001
Excellent work, boys.
Boys, we (scientists) try to do too much in one launch pop….smaller synchronized platforms offer flexibility and offer greater speed at reconstitution, as well as a chance to use up-to-date technologies that can be replinished quickly, given Moore’s Law. We also need to look into alternative launch methods. Too much at stake to not have alternatives in place.