Environmental Satellites
Strategy Needed to Sustain Critical Climate and Space Weather Measurements
GAO-10-456, May 27, 2010
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Environmental satellites provide data on the earth and its space environment that are used for forecasting the weather, measuring variations in climate over time, and predicting space weather. In planning for the next generation of these satellites, federal agencies originally sought to fulfill weather, climate, and space weather requirements. However, in 2006, federal agencies restructured two key satellite acquisitions, the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R). This involved removing key climate and space weather instruments. GAO was asked to (1) assess plans for restoring the capabilities that were removed from the two key satellite acquisitions, (2) evaluate federal efforts to establish a strategy for the long-term provision of satellite-provided climate data, and (3) evaluate federal efforts to establish a strategy for the longterm provision of satellite-provided space weather data. To do so, GAO analyzed agency plans and reports.
After key climate and space weather instruments were removed from the NPOESS and GOES-R programs in 2006, federal agencies decided to restore selected capabilities in the near term. However, neither the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) nor the Department of Defense (DOD) has established plans to restore the full set of NPOESS capabilities over the life of the program. Further, NOAA has not made any plans to restore the advanced climate capabilities of the instrument that was removed from GOES-R. Expected gaps in coverage for the instruments that were removed range from 1 to 11 years, and begin as soon as 2015. Until these capabilities are in place, the agencies will not be able to provide key environmental data that are important for sustaining climate and space weather measurements. For over a decade, federal agencies and the climate community have clamored for a national interagency strategy to coordinate agency priorities, budgets, and schedules for environmental satellite observations over the long-term-- and the governance structure to implement that strategy. In mid-2009, a White House-sponsored interagency working group drafted a report that identifies and prioritizes near-term opportunities for environmental observations; however, the plan has not been approved by key entities within the Executive Office of the President and there is no schedule for finalizing it. In addition, the report does not address costs, schedules, or the long-term provision of satellite data, and there is no process or time frame for implementing it. Without a strategy for continuing environmental measurements over the coming decades and a means for implementing it, agencies will continue to independently pursue their immediate priorities on an ad hoc basis, the economic benefits of a coordinated approach to investments in earth observation may be lost, and our nation's ability to understand climate change may be limited. While federal agencies have taken steps to plan for continued space weather observations in the near-term, they lack a strategy for the long-term provision of space weather data. NOAA and DOD plan to replace aging satellites, and an interagency space weather program drafted two reports on how to mitigate the loss of key satellites and instruments. These reports were submitted to the Executive Office of the President's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the fall of 2009. However, OSTP has no schedule for approving or releasing the reports. Until OSTP approves and releases the reports, it will not be clear whether the reports provide a strategy to ensure the long-term provision of space weather data--or whether the current efforts are simply attempts to ensure short-term data continuity. Without a comprehensive longterm strategy for the provision of space weather data, agencies may make ad hoc decisions to ensure continuity in the near term and risk making inefficient investment decisions.
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Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: In order to effectively address our country's need for sustained environmental observations, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, in collaboration with key Executive Office of the President entities (including the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of Management and Budget, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the National Science and Technology Council), should establish a firm deadline for the completion and release of three key reports on environmental observations: (1) U.S. Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) report on near-term priorities and opportunities in earth observations, called the Strategic Assessment Report; (2) The National Space Weather Program's report on how to address the loss of the Advanced Composition Explorer capabilities; and (3) The National Space Weather Program's report on how to address the space weather capabilities that were removed from the NPOESS program.
Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Science and Technology Policy
Status: Open
Comments: The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released the U.S. Group on Earth Observation's report in September 2010, entitled: Achieving and Sustaining Earth Observations: A Preliminary Report Based on a Strategic Assessment by the United States Group on Earth Observations. In addition, we are working with OSTP to determine what progress the National Space Weather Program has made towards releasing or updating and releasing its reports on space weather.
Recommendation: In order to effectively address our country's need for sustained environmental observations, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, in collaboration with key Executive Office of the President entities (including the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of Management and Budget, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the National Science and Technology Council), should direct USGEO to establish an interagency strategy to address the longterm provision of environmental observations from satellites that includes costs and schedules for the satellites, as well as a plan for the relevant agencies' future budgets.
Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Science and Technology Policy
Status: Open
Comments: Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently created a new National Earth Observation Task Force responsible for developing a National Strategy for Earth Observations. The Task Force is convened at the level of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainability (CENRS), the parent body for USGEO. It held its first meeting in February 2011. Subsequently, the Task Force has created five work teams that are developing a first draft of the national strategy. The Task Force is expected to complete its work by March 2012.
Recommendation: In order to effectively address our country's need for sustained environmental observations, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, in collaboration with key Executive Office of the President entities (including the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of Management and Budget, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the National Science and Technology Council), should establish an ongoing process, with timelines, for obtaining approval of the interagency strategy and aligning it with agency plans and annual budgets.
Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Science and Technology Policy
Status: Open
Comments: According to an official at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Earth Observation Task Force is developing a draft national strategy for Earth observations, which is to be released in 2012. The strategy is expected to call for an assessment of national Earth observation assets followed by the creation of a strategic plan for Earth observations that is aligned with agency budgets.
Recommendation: In order to effectively address our country's need for sustained environmental observations, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, in collaboration with key Executive Office of the President entities (including the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of Management and Budget, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the National Science and Technology Council), should direct the National Space Weather Program Council to establish an interagency strategy for the long-term provision of space weather observations.
Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Science and Technology Policy
Status: Open
Comments: According to an official at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the office has requested that the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology take the lead in developing and coordinating an interagency assessment of the current and future capabilities needed for space weather forecasting activities. According to the official, this activity remains ongoing and any resulting products are not yet ready for release or detailed discussion. We are working with OSTP to determine the scope and timeframes of this effort.