FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on U.S. Weather Satellite Capabilities

Original title: BRIDGING THE GAP: AMERICA'S WEATHER SATELLITES AND WEATHER FORECASTING

January 1, 2015

weather satellites weather forecasting NASA NOAA GAO science policy

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses the risk of 'gaps' in satellite data, which directly impacts the accuracy of weather forecasts and early warning systems for severe weather events across the United States.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

National Weather Service

The agency relies on satellite data to produce weather forecasts and severe weather warnings.

General Public

The public relies on accurate weather forecasts for safety and daily planning.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2015.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 2015 joint House subcommittee hearing regarding the status and reliability of America's weather satellite programs. Officials from the , NOAA, and NASA discussed the technical and management challenges of maintaining satellite coverage for accurate weather forecasting.

Key Facts

The hearing was held on February 12, 2015, by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
The primary focus was the management and technical status of U.S. weather satellite programs.
The GAO provided testimony regarding IT management and potential risks to satellite continuity.
NOAA and NASA officials testified on the status of joint satellite development projects.
The hearing included formal opening statements from subcommittee chairs and ranking members.
The document includes an appendix with post-hearing responses to questions from committee members.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 'gap' in weather satellite coverage?

A gap refers to a period where there is no operational satellite available to provide critical atmospheric data, which can reduce the accuracy of weather forecasts.

Why were NASA and NOAA testifying together?

The two agencies collaborate on the to develop and launch weather satellites.

Why It Matters

The hearing addresses the risk of 'gaps' in satellite data, which directly impacts the accuracy of weather forecasts and early warning systems for severe weather events across the United States.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Inter-agency Collaboration

The hearing highlights the formalization of the NASA-NOAA partnership for satellite management.

NASA NOAA

Connected Entities

organizationNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration“Primary agency responsible for weather satellite operations”Map →

personBarry Loudermilk“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight”Map →

personSteven Clarke“Director of the Joint Agency Satellite Division at NASA”Map →

personJim Bridenstine“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment”Map →

personDavid Powner“Director of IT Management Issues at the GAO”Map →

organizationGovernment Accountability Office“Provided oversight analysis on satellite programs”Map →

organizationNational Aeronautics and Space Administration“Collaborates on satellite development and launch”Map →

personStephen Volz“Assistant Administrator at NOAA”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools