(Washington, DC) The House Science Committee has spent a great deal of time examining the state of a vital U.S. weather forecasting satellite – NPOESS – or the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program. The program, run jointly by NOAA, NASA and DOD has fallen severely behind schedule and is vastly over budget.
Science Committee Democrats have been following NPOESS’s progress for the past six years and lack of information on the program has been a consistent problem. Last month, in light of continued lack of program oversight and mounting problems, Science Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Rep. Wu called on the President to replace NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher and Deputy Undersecretary for NOAA General John J. Kelly.
The findings of a mandated federal review of the NPOESS program, known as a Nunn-McCurdy Review (10 U.S.C 2433), were discussed in the Committee last week. Tomorrow, Rep. David Wu (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Science Committee’s ETS Subcommittee will continue that discussion on EarthBeat Radio.
The program and interview will air live at 10:30am on Tuesday, June 13, 2006. Tune your radio dial to WPFW, 89.3 FM (in Washington, DC) or listen live at www.wpfw.org.
