NOAA, NASA, and DOD are currently developing the next generation of  operational polar-orbiting environmental satellites, called NPOESS. In contrast, climate data  records identify longer term variations in the climate and include  observations of the land, ocean, and atmosphere. These interagency working groups are overseen by offices  within the Executive Office of the President. These restructuring efforts involved  removing selected climate and space weather instruments. On the GOES-R program, NOAA removed an  advanced instrument that was important to the weather and climate  community. The agencies have not yet  made any plans to restore the capabilities of a sixth NPOESS instrument,  and NOAA has not yet made plans to restore the capabilities of the   GOES-R instrument. Federal Efforts to Ensure the Long-term Provision of Satellite Climate Data Are Insufficient

For over a decade, the climate community has clamored for an interagency  strategy to coordinate agency priorities, budgets, and schedules for  environmental satellites over the long term—and the governance structure  to implement that strategy. However, the report does not include  costs, schedules, or plans for the long-term provision of satellite data. Without Landsat or a similar Until an interagency strategy for earth observation is established, and a  clear process for implementing it is in place, federal agencies will continue  to procure their immediate priorities on an ad hoc basis, the economic  benefits of a coordinated approach to investments in earth observation  may be lost, and the continuity of key measurements may be lost. This will  hinder our nation’s ability to understand long-term climate changes. Federal Agencies Lack a Strategy for the Long-term Provision of Space Weather Data

While key 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. However, this plan has not yet been  implemented. However,  OSTP officials do not have a schedule for approving or releasing the  reports. Until OSTP releases the reports, it will not be clear whether they provide a  clear strategy to ensure the long-term provision of space weather data—or  whether the current efforts are simply ad hoc attempts to ensure short- term data continuity. Without a comprehensive long-term 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 decisions on  key investments. Conclusions

Almost 4 years after key climate and space weather instruments were  removed from the NPOESS and GOES-R satellite programs, there are still  significant gaps in future satellite coverage. While individual agencies have  taken steps to restore selected capabilities in the near term, gaps in  coverage ranging from 1 to 11 years are expected beginning as soon as  2015. Recommendations for Executive Action

In order to effectively address our country’s need for sustained  environmental observations, we recommend that 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), take the following four actions:    Establish a firm deadline for the completion and release of three key  reports on environmental observations:    USGEO’s report on near-term priorities and opportunities in earth  observations, called the Strategic Assessment Report;    The National Space Weather Program’s report on how to address the  loss of the Advanced Composition Explorer capabilities; and   The National Space Weather Program’s report on how to address the  space weather capabilities that were removed from the NPOESS  program. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to (1) assess plans to restore capabilities that were  originally planned for, but then removed from, the National Polar-orbiting  Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) and Geostationary  Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R) satellites; (2)  evaluate the adequacy of federal efforts to establish a strategy for the long- term provision of satellite-provided climate data; and (3) evaluate the  adequacy of federal efforts to establish a strategy for the long-term  provision of satellite-provided space weather data.
Why GAO Did This Study

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.

What GAO Found

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.