Since the 1960s, geostationary and polar-orbiting environmental satellites have been used by the United States to provide meteorological data for weather observation, research, and forecasting. NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS) is responsible for managing the civilian geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite systems as two separate programs, called GOES and the Polar Operational Environmental Satellites, respectively. Unlike polar-orbiting satellites, which constantly circle the earth in a relatively low polar orbit, geostationary satellites can maintain a constant view of the earth from a high orbit of about 22,300 miles in space. NOAA operates GOES as a two-satellite system that is primarily focused on the United States (see fig. 1). These satellites are uniquely positioned to provide timely environmental data to meteorologists and their audiences on the earth’s atmosphere, its surface, cloud cover, and the space environment. They also observe the development of hazardous weather, such as hurricanes and severe thunderstorms, and track their movement and intensity to reduce or avoid major losses of property and life. Furthermore, the satellites’ ability to provide broad, continuously updated coverage of atmospheric conditions over land and oceans is important to NOAA’s weather forecasting operations. To provide continuous satellite coverage, NOAA acquires several satellites at a time as part of a series and launches new satellites every few years. Three satellites—GOES-11, GOES-12, and GOES-13—are currently in orbit. Both GOES-11 and GOES-12 are operational satellites, while GOES-13 is in an on-orbit storage mode. It is a backup for the other two satellites should they experience any degradation in service. The others in the series, GOES-O and GOES-P, are planned for launch over the next few years. NOAA is also planning the next generation of satellites, known as the GOES-R series, which are planned for launch beginning in 2014. Each of the operational geostationary satellites continuously transmits raw environmental data to NOAA ground stations. The data are processed at these ground stations and transmitted back to the satellite for broadcast to primary weather services and the global research community here in the United States and abroad. Raw and processed data are also distributed to users via ground stations through other communication channels, such as dedicated private communication lines and the Internet. Figure 2 depicts a generic data relay pattern from the geostationary satellites to the ground stations and commercial terminals. To date, NOAA has procured three series of GOES satellites and is in the planning stages to acquire a fourth one (see table 1). In 1970, NOAA initiated its original GOES program based on experimental geostationary satellites developed by NASA. While these satellites operated effectively for many years, they had technical limitations. For example, this series of satellites was “spin-stabilized,” meaning that the satellites slowly spun while in orbit to maintain a stable position with respect to the earth. As a result, the satellite viewed the earth only about 5 percent of the time and had to collect data very slowly, capturing one narrow band of data each time its field of view swung past the earth. A complete set of sounding data for GOES-4 through GOES-7 took 2 to 3 hours to collect. In 1985, NOAA and NASA began to procure a new generation of GOES, called the GOES I-M series, based on a set of requirements developed by NOAA’s National Weather Service, NESDIS, and NASA, among others. GOES I-M consisted of five satellites, GOES-8 through GOES-12, and was a significant improvement in technology from the original satellites. For example, GOES I-M was “body-stabilized,” meaning that the satellite held a fixed position in orbit relative to the earth, thereby allowing for continuous meteorological observations. Instead of maintaining stability by spinning, the satellite would preserve its fixed position by continuously making small adjustments in the rotation of internal momentum wheels or by firing small thrusters to compensate for drift. This and other enhancements meant that the GOES I-M satellites would be able to collect significantly better quality data more quickly than the older series of satellites. In 1998, NOAA began the procurement of satellites to follow GOES I-M, called the GOES-N series. This series used existing technologies for the instruments and added system upgrades, including an improved power subsystem and enhanced satellite pointing accuracy. Furthermore, these satellites were designed to operate longer than their predecessors. This series originally consisted of four satellites—GOES-N through GOES-Q. However, the option for the GOES-Q satellite was cancelled based on NOAA’s assessment that it would not need the final satellite to continue weather coverage. In particular, the agency found that the satellites already in operation were lasting longer than expected and that the first satellite in the next series could be available to back up the last of the GOES-N satellites. As noted earlier, the first GOES-N series satellite— GOES-13—was launched in May 2006. The GOES-O and GOES-P satellites are currently in production and are expected to be launched in July 2008 and July 2011, respectively. NOAA is currently planning to procure the next series of GOES satellites— called the GOES-R series—which is intended to provide the first major technological advance in instrumentation since the launch of the first satellite of the GOES I-M series in 1994. The original plans for this series included four satellites—GOES-R through GOES-U. However, in September 2006, NOAA reduced the scope of the program to consist of a minimum of two satellites and removed a technically complex instrument because it was estimated that program costs could almost double the original cost estimate. NOAA plans for the GOES-R program to improve on the technology of prior series, in terms of both system and instrument improvements. The system improvements are expected to fulfill more demanding user requirements and to provide more rapid information updates. Table 2 highlights key system-related improvements GOES-R is expected to make to the geostationary satellite program. In addition to the system improvements, the instruments on the GOES-R series are expected to significantly increase the clarity and precision of the observed environmental data. NOAA originally planned to acquire six different types of instruments. Furthermore, two of these instruments— the Advanced Baseline Imager and the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite—were considered to be the most critical because they would provide data for key weather products. Table 3 summarizes the originally planned instruments and their expected capabilities. providing higher resolution and faster coverage. Expected to continuously monitor lightning activity over the United States and provide a more complete dataset than previously possible. Key features include detecting lightning strikes as an indicator of severe storms and providing a new capability to GOES that only previously existed on polar satellites. Expected to provide information on the general level of geomagnetic activity, monitor current systems in space, and permit detection of magnetopause crossings, sudden storm commencements, and substorms. Space Environmental In-Situ Suite (SEISS) Expected to provide information on space weather to aid in the prediction of particle precipitation, which causes disturbance and disruption of radio communications and navigation systems. Key features include measuring magnetic fields and charged particles, providing improved heavy ion detection, adding low energy electrons and protons, and enabling early warnings for satellite and power grid operation, telecom services, astronauts, and airlines. Expected to provide coverage of the entire dynamic range of solar X-ray features, from coronal holes to X-class flares, as well as estimate the measure of temperature and emissions. Key features include providing images of the sun and measuring solar output to monitor solar storms and providing improved imager capability. SIS development work was divided into two separate acquisitions, the Solar Ultra Violet Imager (SUVI) and the Extreme Ultraviolet and X-Ray Irradiance Suite (EXIS). More recently, however, NOAA reduced the scope of the GOES-R program because of expectations of higher costs. In May 2006, the program office projected that total costs, which were originally estimated to be $6.2 billion, could reach $11.4 billion. We reported that this led NOAA to reduce the scope and technical complexity of the baseline program. Specifically, in September 2006, NOAA reduced the minimum number of satellites from four to two, cancelled plans for developing the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite, and estimated the revised program would cost $7 billion. Table 4 provides a summary of the timeline and scope of these key changes. In our September 2006 report, we made a number of recommendations to improve the agency’s ability to effectively manage GOES-R based on lessons learned from other satellite procurements. In particular, we recommended that NOAA establish a process for objectively evaluating and reconciling government and independent cost estimates once the scope of the program was finalized. We also recommended that the agency perform a comprehensive review of the Advanced Baseline Imager to determine the level of technical maturity achieved prior to moving the instrument into production and to seek assistance in determining the appropriate levels of resources needed at the program office to adequately track and oversee the contractor’s earned value management data. The agency agreed with our recommendations and has completed a comprehensive review of the Advanced Baseline Imager. Actions on other recommendations are under way. For example, NOAA has established a team to conduct a line-by-line reconciliation of the government and independent cost estimates. Additionally, NOAA plans to have four earned value specialists on staff by the end of 2007 and has requested that NASA determine the appropriate level of resources needed to perform its earned value management functions. NOAA is solely responsible for GOES-R program funding and overall mission success.