#BUG JUICE DRINK FULL#
The best thing coming out of all the dire warnings in this regard has been the continued full funding for JPSS and GOES-R, both of which are absolutely essential to the nation. And, by the way, there is no evidence of an early demise of the Suomi NPP mission, which is still working like a champ, as is the admittedly aging NOAA-19 satellite, which is also covering the “afternoon orbit.” I would not want to make light of the danger of a gap, but the likelihood of one happening is thankfully low. The correct message that such commercial data can augment the government satellites is being misunderstood with the willing complicity of those selling it.Īny potential gap in polar satellite coverage cannot be filled by satellites that have not yet been built and using data management and computer model assimilation regimens that have not been designed or tested. The day the world cannot depend on the United States and we cannot depend on our international partners because of commercial data “licensing” issues is the day we put the public - and our national security - at risk.Īny assertion that commercial data buys can replace - or even improve upon - the absolutely essential polar-orbiting and geostationary weather satellites operated by the government is simply wrong. The integrity of weather forecasts is everything and we simply cannot and must not substitute PowerPoint and promises for almost 65 years of engineering and experience.Īnd let’s not forget we not only share satellite data with the world but also obtain shared data from other nations through the World Meteorological Organization processes. Accurate, life-saving forecasts are priceless.Įveryone is concerned about the cost of space systems, and NASA, NOAA’s acquisition and technical oversight agent for weather satellites, is working closely with the industry teams to increase efficiency without sacrificing essential quality and testing. Even in a constrained fiscal environment, this is a tremendous bargain. Congress needs to back up this admiration with the financial resources to maintain our overall second-to-none operational weather services, and that includes continuing to support the satellites, both civil and defense, that make those services possible by assuring continuity of essential observational data to feed the models. And, I should add, its sister agencies of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and Air Force Weather are also well deserving of this appreciation and admiration.
The agency deserves to be seen by the public - and public servants in Congress - with nothing but pride and admiration. federal government and the envy of national weather services all over the world. Let me be perfectly clear: The National Weather Service is a crown jewel in the U.S. some international numerical weather prediction models, and then offering a backhanded compliment to NOAA’s National Weather Service, he launches into a parroting of the marketing message for companies hoping to displace traditional government-acquired, -owned and -operated weather satellites with “commercial weather satellite data.” Citing an arguably arcane ranking of statistical accuracy of American vs. The congressman, whom I admire and with whom I agree on most political issues, is - with all due respect - being badly misled if he is willing to publicly assert there’s a problem with U.S. Bridenstine, I see our concerns were more than justified. At that time, my colleagues and I who were serving in the companies working to complete and launch the nation’s next-generation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather satellites - Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-1 - saw the pitch (or pouring of Kool-Aid, to maintain the metaphor) by Anne Hale Miglarese and David Crain as an extremely serious threat to the funding of those critical satellite programs. representative from the 1st District of Oklahoma and fellow former Navy officer, has been sipping the cool but nonnutritional message being spread on the Hill though aggressive lobbying by companies such as PlanetIQ and GeoMetWatch.īack in 2013, executives of those two companies authored “A Better Way To Weather the Satellite Gap”. I use this metaphor in responding to “ Winds of Change for Weather Data” because I fear its author, Jim Bridenstine, a U.S. But refreshing as it may be, bug juice has no nutritional value. Having served for 20 years as a Navy officer, initially in surface warfare operations and later as a career meteorology and oceanography professional, I know service in the fleet is thirsty work and a cool drink in the wardroom is always appreciated.
Navy term for the sweet sugary beverage served on ships.
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