Since the 1970s, geostationary 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 is responsible for managing the civilian operational geostationary satellite system, called GOES. 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 provide timely environmental data about the earth’s atmosphere, surface, cloud cover, and the space environment to meteorologists and their audiences. 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. The ability of the satellites 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 (see table 1). NOAA’s policy is to have two operational satellites and one backup satellite in orbit at all times. Four GOES satellites–GOES-12, GOES-13, GOES-14, and GOES-15– are currently in orbit. Both GOES-13 and GOES-15 are operational satellites with GOES-13 covering the eastern United States and GOES- 15 in the western United States (see fig. 1). GOES-14 is currently in an on-orbit storage mode and available as a backup for the other two satellites should they experience any degradation in service. GOES-12 is at the end of its service life, but it is being used to provide limited coverage of South America. The GOES-R series is the next generation of satellites that NOAA is planning. The first two satellites in the series (called GOES-R and GOES-S) are planned for launch in October 2015 and February 2017, respectively. 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 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 a geostationary satellite to the ground stations and commercial terminals. NOAA established the GOES-R program to develop and launch the next series of geostationary satellites and to ensure the continuity of geostationary satellite observations. Since its inception, the GOES-R program has undergone several changes in cost and scope. As originally envisioned, GOES-R was to encompass four satellites hosting a variety of advanced technology instruments and providing 81 environmental products. The first two satellites in the series were expected to launch in September 2012 and April 2014. However, in September 2006, NOAA decided to reduce the scope and technical complexity of the GOES-R program because of expectations that total costs, which were originally estimated to be $6.2 billion, could reach $11.4 billion. Specifically, NOAA reduced the minimum number of satellites from four to two, cancelled plans for developing an advanced instrument (which reduced the number of planned satellite products from 81 to 68), and divided another instrument into two separate acquisitions. The agency estimated that the revised program would cost $7 billion and kept the planned launch dates unchanged. Subsequently, NOAA made several other important decisions about the cost and scope of the GOES-R program. In May 2007, NOAA had an independent cost estimate completed for the GOES-R program. After reconciling the program office’s cost estimate of $7 billion with the independent cost estimate of about $9 billion, the agency established a new program cost estimate of $7.67 billion. This was an increase of $670 million from the previous estimate. The program also moved the launch dates for the first two satellites to December 2014 and April 2016. Further, in November 2007, to mitigate the risk that costs would rise, program officials decided to remove selected program requirements from the baseline program and treat them as contract options that could be exercised if funds allowed. These requirements included the number of products to be distributed, the time to deliver the remaining products (product latency), and how often these products would be updated with new satellite data (refresh rate). For example, program officials eliminated the requirement to develop and distribute 34 of the 68 envisioned products, including low cloud and fog, sulfur dioxide detection, and cloud liquid water. Program officials included the restoration of the requirements for the products, latency times, and refresh rates as options in the ground system contract that could be acquired at a later time. Program officials later reduced the number of products that could be restored as a contract option (called option 2) from 34 to 31 because they determined that two products were no longer feasible and two others could be combined into a single product. In late 2009, NOAA changed the launch dates for the first two satellites to October 2015 and February 2017, in part due to a bid protest related to award of the spacecraft contract. More recently, NOAA restored two satellites to the program’s baseline, making GOES-R a four-satellite program once again. In February 2011, as part of its fiscal year 2012 budget request, NOAA requested funding to begin development for two additional satellites in the GOES-R series—GOES-T and GOES-U. The program estimates that the development for all four satellites in the GOES-R series—GOES-R, GOES-S, GOES-T, and GOES-U—is to cost $10.9 billion through 2036, an increase of $3.2 billion over its prior life cycle cost estimate of $7.67 billion for the two-satellite program. See table 2 for an overview of key changes to the GOES-R program. The GOES-R program is divided into flight and ground projects that have separate areas of responsibility and oversee different sets of contracts. The flight project, which is managed by NASA, includes instruments, spacecraft, launch services, satellite integration, and on-orbit satellite initialization. Table 3 summarizes the GOES-R instruments and their planned capabilities. The ground project is directed by NOAA and is made up of three main components: the core ground system, an infrastructure of antennas, and a product access subsystem. In turn, the core ground system comprises four functional modules supporting operations, product generation, product distribution, and configuration control. Key components of the ground project are described in table 4. NOAA is responsible for GOES-R program funding and overall mission success. The NOAA Program Management Council, which is chaired by NOAA’s Deputy Undersecretary, is the oversight body for the GOES-R program. However, since it relies on NASA’s acquisition experience and technical expertise to help ensure the success of its programs, NOAA implemented an integrated program management structure with NASA for the GOES-R program (see fig. 3). NOAA also located the program office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. In recent years, we issued a series of reports aimed at addressing weaknesses in the GOES-R program. Key areas of focus included (1) improving communications with external data users, (2) developing contingency plans, and (3) addressing key cost and schedule risks. Improving communications with external users. In September 2010, we reported that while NOAA had identified GOES data users and involved internal NOAA users in developing and prioritizing GOES-R requirements, it had not adequately involved other federal users who rely on GOES data by documenting their input and communicating major changes to the program. We recommended that the program establish processes for satellite data requirements definition and prioritization that include documented input from external users, as well as processes to notify these non-NOAA agencies of GOES-R program status and changes. In February 2012, the GOES-R program developed a communications plan that described how external stakeholders would be notified of GOES-R progress, status changes, and other relevant activities. However, NOAA has not yet fully implemented the plan, as demonstrated by the communication shortfalls discussed later in this report. Developing contingency plans. In September 2010, we reported that while there was a potential gap in backup coverage due to satellite launch delays, NOAA had not established adequate continuity plans for its geostationary satellites. We recommended that the program’s plan include implementation procedures, resources, staff roles, and timetables needed to transition to a single satellite, a foreign satellite, or other solution. In December 2012, NOAA finalized a contingency plan that generally included these elements. However, more work remains to ensure that the plan is viable. More recently, in February 2013, we added the potential gaps in weather satellite data to our biennial High-Risk list. In that report, we noted that NOAA had established a contingency plan for a potential gap in the GOES program, but it needed to demonstrate its progress in coordinating with the user community to determine their most critical requirements, conducting training and simulations for contingency operations scenarios, evaluating the status of viable foreign satellites, and working with the user community to account for differences in product coverage under contingency operations scenarios. We also stated that NOAA should update its contingency plan to provide more details on its contingency scenarios, associated time frames, and any preventative actions it is taking to minimize the possibility of a gap. Addressing key cost and schedule risks.