Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Progress has been Made, but Improvements Are Needed to Effectively Manage Risks

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Progress has been Made, but Improvements Are Needed to Effectively Manage Risks PDF Author: United States. Government Accountability Office
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 9781422399552
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Progress has been Made, but Improvements Are Needed to Effectively Manage Risks

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Progress has been Made, but Improvements Are Needed to Effectively Manage Risks PDF Author: United States. Government Accountability Office
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 9781422399552
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description


Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites PDF Author: United States. Government Accountability Office
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Meteorological satellites
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the aid of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series (GOES-R). This series is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting through the year 2028. GAO was asked to (1) assess the status and plans for GOES-R, and (2) evaluate whether NOAA is adequately mitigating key technical and programmatic risks. To do so, GAO analyzed contractor and program data and interviewed officials from NOAA and NASA. NOAA has made progress in planning its GOES-R procurement--which is estimated to cost $7 billion and scheduled to have the first satellite ready for launch in 2014--but cost and schedules are likely to grow. Specifically, the agency completed preliminary design studies of GOES-R and recently decided to separate the space and ground elements of the program into two separate development contracts. However, this change in the GOES-R acquisition strategy has delayed a decision to proceed with the acquisition. Further, independent estimates are higher than the program's current cost estimate and convey a low level of confidence in the program's schedule. Independent studies show that the estimated program could cost about $2 billion more, and the first satellite launch could be delayed by 2 years. As NOAA works to reconcile the independent estimate with its own program office estimate, costs are likely to grow and schedules are likely to be delayed. To address cost, schedule, and technical risks, the GOES-R program has established a risk management program and has taken steps to mitigate selected risks. For example, as of July 2007, the program office identified the lack of an integrated master schedule to be its highest priority risk and established plans to bring this risk to closure. However, more remains to be done to fully address GOES-R risks. Specifically, the program has multiple risk watchlists that are not always consistent and key risks are missing from the watchlists, including risks associated with unfilled executive positions, limitations in NOAA's insight into NASA's deliverables, and insufficient funds for unexpected costs--called management reserves. As a result, the GOES-R program is at risk that problems will not be identified or mitigated in a timely manner and could lead to program cost overruns and schedule delays.

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites PDF Author: United States Government Accountability Office
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781976397479
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 42

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Book Description
The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the aid of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series (GOES-R). This series is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting through the year 2028. GAO was asked to (1) assess the status and plans for GOES-R, and (2) evaluate whether NOAA is adequately mitigating key technical and programmatic risks. To do so, GAO analyzed contractor and program data and interviewed officials from NOAA and NASA.

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Further Actions Needed to Effectively Manage Risks

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Further Actions Needed to Effectively Manage Risks PDF Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 9781422399040
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 22

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Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Progress Has Been Made, but Improvements Are Needed to Effectively Manage Risks

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Progress Has Been Made, but Improvements Are Needed to Effectively Manage Risks PDF Author: United States. Government Accountability Office
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 9781422399569
Category : Meteorological satellites
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the aid of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series (GOES-R). This series is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting through the year 2028. GAO was asked to (1) assess the status and plans for GOES-R, and (2) evaluate whether NOAA is adequately mitigating key technical and programmatic risks. To do so, GAO analyzed contractor and program data and interviewed officials from NOAA and NASA.

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites PDF Author: David A. Powner
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437940730
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. NOAA, with the aid of NASA, is to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environ. satellites, called Geostationary Operational Environ. Satellite-R (GOES-R) series. The GOES-R series is to replace the current series of satellites, which will reach the end of their useful lives in 2015. This new series is considered critical to the U.S.' ability to maintain data required for weather forecasting through the year 2028. This report: (1) determined the status of the GOES-R acquisition; (2) evaluated whether NOAA has established adequate contingency plans in the event of delays; and (3) assessed NOAA's efforts to identify GOES data users, prioritize their data needs, and communicate with them about the program's status. Charts and tables.

Environmental Satellites: Strategy Needed to Sustain Critical Climate and Space Weather Measurements

Environmental Satellites: Strategy Needed to Sustain Critical Climate and Space Weather Measurements PDF Author: David A. Powner
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437934374
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
Environmental satellites provide data 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. This involved removing key climate and space weather instruments. This report: (1) assessed plans for restoring the capabilities that were removed from the two key satellite acquisitions; and (2) evaluated federal efforts to establish a strategy for the long-term provision of satellite-provided space weather, and climate data. Charts and tables.

Geostationary Weather Satellites

Geostationary Weather Satellites PDF Author: United States Government Accountability Office
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781482052176
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R) program has made progress by completing its early design milestones and is nearing the end of the design phase for its spacecraft, instrument, and ground system components. While the program continues to make progress, recent technical problems with the instruments and spacecraft, as well as a significant modification to the ground project's development plan, have delayed the completion of key reviews and led to increased complexity for the development of GOES-R. The technical and programmatic challenges experienced by the flight and ground projects have led to a 19-month delay in completing the program's preliminary design review. Nevertheless, program officials report that its planned launch date of October 2015 for the first satellite has not changed. While the program reports that approximately $1.2 billion is currently in reserve to manage future delays and cost growth, significant portions of development remain for major components. As a result, the program may not be able to ensure that it has adequate resources to cover ongoing challenges as well as unexpected problems for the remaining development of all four satellites. The success in management of a large-scale program depends in part on having a reliable schedule that defines, among other things, when work activities and milestone events will occur, how long they will take, and how they are related to one another. To its credit, the program has adopted key scheduling best practices and has recognized certain scheduling weaknesses. It has also recently instituted initiatives to automate its integrated master schedule, correct integration problems among projects, and assess schedule confidence based on risk. However, unresolved schedule deficiencies remain in its integrated master schedule and the contractor schedules that support it, which have contributed to a re-plan of the schedule of the ground system and to the potential for delays to satellite launch dates. The program recently determined that the likelihood of the first satellite meeting its planned October 2015 launch date is 48 percent. Based on this planned launch date, the program reports that there is a 37 percent chance of a gap in the availability of two operational GOES-series satellites, which could result in the need for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to rely on older satellites that are not fully functional. Until its scheduling weaknesses are addressed, it will be more difficult for the program to know whether its planned remaining development is on schedule. NOAA has established policies and procedures that conform with recognized risk management best practices. For example, the program has documented a strategy for managing risks that includes important elements, such as relevant stakeholders and their responsibilities and the criteria for evaluating, categorizing, and prioritizing risks. However, while the program has a well- defined risk management process, it has not been fully implemented. For example, the program has not provided adequate or timely evaluations for potential risks, did not always provide adequate rationale for the decision to close a risk, and has at least two critical risks in need of additional attention. Until all defined risk management practices are diligently executed and critical risks adequately mitigated, the GOES-R program is at risk of exceeding cost and schedule targets, and launch dates could slip.

Setting New Courses for Polar Weather Satellites and Earth Observations

Setting New Courses for Polar Weather Satellites and Earth Observations PDF Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology (2007). Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites

Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites PDF Author: United States. Government Accountability Office
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 9781422396216
Category : Meteorological satellites
Languages : en
Pages : 30

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Book Description
The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is a tri-agency acquisition--managed by the Departments of Commerce and Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration--which experienced escalating costs, schedule delays, and technical difficulties. These factors led to a June 2006 decision to restructure the program thereby decreasing the program's complexity, increasing its estimated cost to $12.5 billion, and delaying the first two satellites by 3 to 5 years. GAO was asked to (1) assess progress in restructuring the acquisition, (2) evaluate progress in establishing an effective management structure, (3) assess the reliability of the cost ...