[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 39 (Wednesday, April 13, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                NEW ERA OF PRECISION WEATHER FORECASTING

                                 ______


                       HON. GEORGE E. BROWN, JR.

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 13, 1994

  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, this morning the most advanced 
weather satellite ever developed has been placed in geosynchronous 
orbit above the Earth. If it performs as we expect, this satellite, the 
geostationary operational environmental satellite [GOES-8], heralds a 
new era of precision weather forecasting. GOES-8's ability to ``stop 
and stare'' at storms will enable forecasters to provide the more 
timely and more precise storm warnings so necessary for preservation of 
lives during rapidly changing hazardous weather. The critical 
importance of satellite observations will be highlighted by this 
landmark launch.
  The GOES-NEXT satellite system, operated by the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, is a basic element of U.S. weather 
monitoring and forecast operations and is a key component of the 
National Weather Service's operations and modernization program. 
Spacecraft and ground-based systems work together to accomplish the 
GOES mission of providing weather imagery and quantitative sounding 
data that form a continuous and reliable stream of environmental 
information used for weather forecasting and related services.
  The new series of GOES satellites provides significant improvements 
over the previous GOES system in weather imagery and atmospheric 
sounding information. This enhanced system will significantly improve 
weather services, particularly the forecasting of life- and property-
threatening severe storms.
  The GOES I-M satellite series represents the next generation of 
meteorological satellites and introduces two new capabilities. The 
first capability, ``flexible scan,'' provides small-scale area imaging 
or a ``stop and stare'' capability that lets meteorologists take 
pictures of local weather trouble spots. This allows them to improve 
short-term forecasts over local areas. The second new capability, 
simultaneous and independent imaging and sounding, is designed to allow 
weather forecasters to use multiple measurements of weather phenomena 
to increase the accuracy of their forecasts.
  Each satellite in the series carries two major instruments: an imager 
and a sounder. These instruments acquire high-resolution visible and 
infrared data, as well as temperature and moisture profiles of the 
atmosphere. They continuously transmit these data to ground terminals 
where the data are processed for rebroadcast to primary weather 
services both in the United States and around the world, including the 
global research community.
  The GOES imager is a multichannel instrument designed to sense 
radiant and solar-reflected energy from sampled areas of the Earth. The 
multielement spectral channels simultaneously sweep east-west and west-
east along a north-to-south path by means of a two-axis mirror scan 
system. The instrument can produce full-Earth disc images, sector 
images that contain the edges of the Earth, and various sizes of area 
scans completely enclosed within the Earth scene using a new flexible 
scan system. Scan selection permits rapid continuous viewing of local 
areas for monitoring of mesoscale--regional--phenomena and accurate 
wind determination.
  The GOES sounder is a 19-channel discrete-filter radiometer covering 
the spectral range from the visible channel wavelengths to 15 microns. 
It is designed to provide data from which atmospheric temperature and 
moisture profiles, surface and cloud-top temperatures, and ozone 
distribution can be deduced by mathematical analysis. It operates 
independently of and simultaneously with the imager, using a similarly 
flexible scan system. The sounder's multielement detector array 
simultaneously samples four separate fields or atmospheric columns. A 
rotating filter wheel, which brings spectral filters into the optical 
path of the detector array, provides the infrared channel definition.
  The GOES I-M series of satellites is owned and operated by the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]. The National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] manages the design, 
development, and launch of the spacecraft. Once the satellite is 
launched and checked out, NOAA assumes responsibility for the command 
and control, data receipt, and product generation and distribution.
  The GOES I-M mission is scheduled to run from the mid-1990's into the 
first decade of the 21st century. Each element of the mission has been 
designed to meet all in-orbit performance requirements for at least 5 
years.
  The GOES I-M system performs the following basic functions:
  Acquisition, processing, and dissemination of imaging and sounding 
data.
  Acquisition and dissemination of space environmental monitor 
[geomagnetic storm] data.
  Reception and relay of data from ground-based data collection 
platform's [DCP's] that are situated in carefully selected urban and 
remote areas to the NOAA command and data acquisition (CDA) station.
  Continuous relay of weather facsimile [WEFAX] and other weather data 
to users, independent of all other functions.
  Relay of distress signals from people, aircraft, or marine vessels to 
the search and rescue ground stations of the search and rescue 
satellite aided tracking [SARSAT] system.
  Mr. Speaker, this long-awaited and technically challenging satellite 
program has taught NASA and NOAA a number of expensive lessons about 
the development of new operational satellites. It is our duty in 
Congress to make sure that procurement reforms continue to be 
implemented to prevent a repeat of the types of cost overruns and 
schedule delays that plagued GOES-8. However, as we begin this new era 
of precision weather forecasting, I am hopeful that the future savings 
in lives and property will make it all worth while.

                          ____________________