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Space Studies Board Annual Report 2007 (2008) / Chapter Skim
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6.6 U.S. Weather and Environmental Satellites: Ready for the 21st Century?
Pages 157-161

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From page 157...
... I also serve as the Chair of The National Academies' Climate Research Committee and of the Academies' "Panel on Options to Ensure the Climate Record from the NPOESS and GOES-R Spacecraft." This latter study is in response to a NASA and NOAA request to the National Research Council (NRC) for a follow-on report to the Decadal Survey in Earth Science that focuses on recovery of lost measurement capabilities, especially those related to climate research, which occurred as a result of changes to the NPOESS and GOES-R satellite programs.
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From page 158...
... This hearing also occurs shortly after the completion of the first National Academies Decadal Survey in Earth Science and Applications from Space and the recent release by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of their Fourth Assessment Report. In addition, as you are all aware, there have been numerous news accounts in recent days regarding the fate of a particular spacecraft -- QuikSCAT, which measures sea surface wind speed and direction.
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From page 159...
... For example, in a recent NRC review of NASA's 2006 Draft Science Plan the committee noted that the "NASA/ SMD (Science Mission Directorate) should develop a science strategy for obtaining long-term, continuous, stable observations of the Earth system that are distinct from observations to meet requirements by NOAA in support of numerical weather prediction." Accordingly, the Decadal Survey committee recommended that, "The Office of Science and Technology Policy, in collaboration with the relevant agencies, and in consultation with the scientific community, should develop and implement a plan for achieving and sustaining global Earth observations.
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From page 160...
... Moreover, as emphasized repeatedly in recent NRC studies, the generation of credible climate records requires investments in pre-launch instrument characterization, on-orbit calibration and validation, and a ground support system that has the requisite resources to archive, disseminate, analyze, and periodically re-analyze the data. Appropriate investments in this critical part of the chain from raw data to climate data record were never part of the NPOESS program.
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From page 161...
... Our nation needs a deliberate, forward looking, and cost-effective strategy for satellite-based environmental monitoring. The nation requires a coherent strategy for Earth observations which provides for operational climate monitoring and prediction, scientific advances, and the continuation of long-term measurements.
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Key Terms

  • decadal survey
  • climate observations
  • climate research
  • climate variability
  • climate records

  • climate monitoring
  • numerical weather
  • weather prediction
  • wind speed
  • climate data

  • coupled climate
  • climate community
  • surface wind
  • data records
  • climate science

  • recent nrc
  • earth sciences
  • natural climate
  • potential lost
  • npoess platforms

  • survey committee
  • earth observations
  • academies decadal
  • sea surface
  • technology missions

  • predict climate
  • npoess program
  • lost capabilities
  • vertical profiles
  • selected sensors


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