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Pensacola Discussion Forum » Politics » U.S. Satellite Plans Falter, Imperiling Data on Storms

U.S. Satellite Plans Falter, Imperiling Data on Storms

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othershoe1030

othershoe1030

This is the sort of thing that makes me crazy about the way some folks in congress think. There is just too much short term thinking and not enough planning and investing in the future. The result in not investing in the future is that ironically it will cost us all more in lives and $$$ in the long run. This is just one story of a rather pertinent nature that illustrates my point.

We need to reevaluate our expenditures in a way that doesn't end up costing more. That's not saving money; that's just stupid.


WASHINGTON — The United States is facing a year or more without crucial satellites that provide invaluable data for predicting storm tracks, a result of years of mismanagement, lack of financing and delays in launching replacements, according to several recent official reviews.

The looming gap in satellite coverage, which some experts view as almost certain within the next few years, could result in shaky forecasts about storms like Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to hit the East Coast early next week.

The endangered satellites fly pole-to-pole orbits and cross the Equator in the afternoon, scanning the entire planet one strip at a time. Along with orbiters on other timetables, they are among the most effective tools used to pin down the paths of major storms about five days ahead.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/27/us/dying-satellites-could-lead-to-shaky-weather-forecasts.html?_r=0

Guest


Guest

why satelite coverage?

this is something for people to just bitch about.

they have spent millions, maybe billions on nw weather related technologies.

heres one that went on in washington recently.

New radar on Washington coast will give forecasters a better look inside incoming stormshttp://www.oregonlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2011/05/new_weather_service_radar_on_c.html

they also have some new satelites, heres just one


The new satellite was launched this last Friday around 3:00 a.m. (Oct 28, 2011) from the California coast at Vandenberg Air Force Base inside a Delta 2 Rocket. The weather for the launch was perfect with very clear skies and virtually no wind. The satellite separated from the rocket about an hour after launch and navigated after that using solar panels. The cost for this project is about $1.5 billion dollars The satellite itself is larger than one might envision - about the size of a small sports utility vehicle! It is orbiting 512 miles above Earth.
.
..
. . http://science-report.net/article/nasa-launches-special-satellite-watch-weather-patterns-earth

not sure why this is in politics,

othershoe1030

othershoe1030

Rogue wrote:why satelite coverage?

this is something for people to just bitch about.

they have spent millions, maybe billions on nw weather related technologies.

heres one that went on in washington recently.

New radar on Washington coast will give forecasters a better look inside incoming stormshttp://www.oregonlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2011/05/new_weather_service_radar_on_c.html

they also have some new satelites, heres just one


The new satellite was launched this last Friday around 3:00 a.m. (Oct 28, 2011) from the California coast at Vandenberg Air Force Base inside a Delta 2 Rocket. The weather for the launch was perfect with very clear skies and virtually no wind. The satellite separated from the rocket about an hour after launch and navigated after that using solar panels. The cost for this project is about $1.5 billion dollars The satellite itself is larger than one might envision - about the size of a small sports utility vehicle! It is orbiting 512 miles above Earth.
.
..
. . http://science-report.net/article/nasa-launches-special-satellite-watch-weather-patterns-earth

not sure why this is in politics,

Not sure why this is in "Politics", are you totally kidding?

Democrats and the Obama administration and the vast majority of the rest of the world are aware of something called global warming or more correctly called climate change. There is an on going argument over the cause of this occurrence centered among the anti-science gurus in the backward backwoods anti-intellectual wing of the tea party within the GOP.

The Grover Norquist/Carl Gallops/Rush Limbaugh types have taken over the once respectable political party known as the Republicans. These are the types of people with their head in the sand thinking who are trying to cut programs such as the weather satellite program in order to save money now and cost us more later.

For a political party claiming to be the party of business, one that looks at the bottom line they sure don't look far enough into the future.

They want to cut a little now and pay a lot more later as a result of their actions. Maybe this will change now that more people can see the benefits of weather satellites. Maybe more people will reconsider their thoughts about climate change now that we've had such a wake up call with the storm Sandy.

These decisions to fund or cut have an impact on how well prepared we can be to deal with storms. That's why it is posted in "Politics".

Guest


Guest

[quote="othershoe1030"]
Rogue wrote:why satelite coverage?



They want to cut a little now and pay a lot more later as a result of their actions. Maybe this will change now that more people can see the benefits of weather satellites. Maybe more people will reconsider their thoughts about climate change now that we've had such a wake up call with the storm Sandy.

These decisions to fund or cut have an impact on how well prepared we can be to deal with storms. That's why it is posted in "Politics".[/color]

Ummm, it was Senate Committee that has made a huge shift concerning satellites - headed by a Democrat. Guess it will be few years to find out if this was a wise move.

“We have said time and time and time again to NOAA, ‘Get your act together,’” Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), who chairs the Senate Appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee, said April 17 during a short legislative session to markup the 2013 spending bill that funds NASA and NOAA, among other agencies. “We’ve been very concerned that NOAA and the Department of Commerce have shown little will to rein in satellite costs.”

By moving responsibility for purchasing weather satellites from NOAA to NASA, the government can save more than $100 million a year, Mikulski said. In the 2013 budget, the move would save $117 million, according to a press release issued April 17 by the Senate Appropriations Committee."

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