WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces a full Committee hearing titled U.S. Weather and Environmental Satellites: Ready for the 21st Century?

The hearing will examine the state of U.S. weather and environmental satellites, including QuikSCAT, which is used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to aide in hurricane forecasting. The hearing also will look at setbacks in NOAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite procurement programs, such as the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R (GOES-R), and investigate the potential economic and scientific impacts of these problems, including the removal of sensors important to climate research and weather prediction.

 

Ms. Mary Ellen Kicza, Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

 

Dr. Michael H. Freilich, Director, Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

 

Mr. David Powner, Director, Information Technology Management Issues, Government

Accountability Office

 

Dr. Greg Holland, Director, Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division, Earth and Sun Systems Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research

 

Dr. Antonio Busalacchi, Professor and Director, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland

 

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