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The Future of Npoess: Results of the Nunn–Mccurdy Review of Noaa’S Weather Satellite Program

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The Future of Npoess: Results of the Nunn–Mccurdy Review of Noaa’S Weather Satellite Program THE FUTURE OF NPOESS: RESULTS OF THE NUNN–MCCURDY REVIEW OF NOAA’S WEATHER SATELLITE PROGRAM HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JUNE 8, 2006 Serial No. 109–53 Printed for the use of the Committee on Science ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/science U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 27–970PS WASHINGTON : 2007 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 23:24 Feb 15, 2007 Jkt 027970 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 C:\WORKD\FULL06\060806\27970 HJUD1 PsN: HJUD1 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE HON. SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York, Chairman RALPH M. HALL, Texas BART GORDON, Tennessee LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois CURT WELDON, Pennsylvania EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas DANA ROHRABACHER, California LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California KEN CALVERT, California DARLENE HOOLEY, Oregon ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland MARK UDALL, Colorado VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan DAVID WU, Oregon GIL GUTKNECHT, Minnesota MICHAEL M. HONDA, California FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma BRAD MILLER, North Carolina JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois LINCOLN DAVIS, Tennessee WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois W. TODD AKIN, Missouri SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois BRAD SHERMAN, California J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia BRIAN BAIRD, Washington JO BONNER, Alabama JIM MATHESON, Utah TOM FEENEY, Florida JIM COSTA, California RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas AL GREEN, Texas BOB INGLIS, South Carolina CHARLIE MELANCON, Louisiana DAVE G. REICHERT, Washington DENNIS MOORE, Kansas MICHAEL E. SODREL, Indiana DORIS MATSUI, California JOHN J.H. ‘‘JOE’’ SCHWARZ, Michigan MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida (II) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 23:24 Feb 15, 2007 Jkt 027970 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\WORKD\FULL06\060806\27970 HJUD1 PsN: HJUD1 C O N T E N T S June 8, 2006 Page Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2 Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Sherwood L. Boehlert, Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives ........................................................ 7 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 8 Statement by Representative Bart Gordon, Minority Ranking Member, Com- mittee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................ 9 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 10 Statement by Representative Vernon J. Ehlers, Chairman, Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives .................................................................................... 11 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 12 Statement by Representative David Wu, Minority Ranking Member, Sub- committee on Environment, Technology, and Standards, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................................. 13 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 14 Prepared Statement by Representative Jerry F. Costello, Member, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives ........................................................ 15 Witnesses: Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. (U.S. Navy, Ret.), Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 16 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 19 Biography .......................................................................................................... 21 Dr. Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Ad- ministration Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 22 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 24 Dr. Ronald M. Sega, Under Secretary of the Air Force, U.S. Department of Defense Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 25 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 29 Biography .......................................................................................................... 31 Discussion Confidence Levels of Budget and Schedule Estimates ...................................... 33 Nunn-McCurdy Decision Package ...................................................................... 36 Decision-making Process and Cost Targets ....................................................... 38 Cost of Climate-related Sensors .......................................................................... 40 Cost Targets ......................................................................................................... 41 Information Oversight, Reporting, and Budgets ............................................... 42 International Bases and U.S. Control of Data ................................................... 43 Cost-benefit Analysis of NPOESS Costs ............................................................ 44 Status of VIIRS Sensor ........................................................................................ 45 Cost of Program in Context ................................................................................. 46 Mandatory Confidence Levels ............................................................................. 47 (III) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 23:24 Feb 15, 2007 Jkt 027970 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\WORKD\FULL06\060806\27970 HJUD1 PsN: HJUD1 IV Page Employees Qualifications .................................................................................... 48 Guarantee of Plan ................................................................................................ 49 Mistakes Leading to Current Problems ............................................................. 49 Joint Agency Effort .............................................................................................. 50 Awards and Bonuses ............................................................................................ 51 Cost Confidences and CMIS ................................................................................ 51 Award Fee ............................................................................................................. 52 Loss of Climate Data and Sensors ...................................................................... 53 Prioritizing Additional Sensors ........................................................................... 55 Appendix 1: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. (U.S. Navy, Ret.), Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere ......... 58 Dr. Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration 67 Dr. Ronald M. Sega, Under Secretary of the Air Force, U.S. Department of Defense ............................................................................................................. 71 Appendix 2: Additional Material for the Record Letter to Chairman Boehlert from Kenneth J. Krieg, Under Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, dated June 5, 2006 ...................................... 80 Letter to Kenneth J. Krieg from Chairman Boehlert, dated June 6, 2006 ......... 86 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 23:24 Feb 15, 2007 Jkt 027970 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\WORKD\FULL06\060806\27970 HJUD1 PsN: HJUD1 THE FUTURE OF NPOESS: RESULTS OF THE NUNN–MCCURDY REVIEW OF NOAA’S WEATHER SATELLITE PROGRAM THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2006 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 2:35 p.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Sherwood L. Boehlert [Chairman of the Committee] presiding. (1) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 23:24 Feb 15, 2007 Jkt 027970 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\WORKD\FULL06\060806\27970 HJUD1 PsN: HJUD1 2 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 23:24 Feb 15, 2007 Jkt 027970 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 C:\WORKD\FULL06\060806\27970 HJUD1 PsN: HJUD1 3 HEARING CHARTER COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Future of NPOESS: Results of the Nunn-McCurdy Review of NOAA’s Weather Satellite Program THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2006 2:30 P.M.–4:30 P.M. 2318 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING Purpose The key program to build new weather satellites for both military and civilian forecasting has just undergone a statutorily required review because the program was more than 25 percent over budget. The program, the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), is jointly
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