▶ 0:19:50Good morning. The Subcommittee on Environment will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recesses of the subcommittee at any time. Welcome to today's hearing from Orbit Operations, how weather satellites support the national security mission. I recognize myself for 5 minutes for an opening Good morning again and thank you for our panel of witnesses for taking the time to share your expertise with us today.
▶ 0:20:13And this morning's hearing addresses a topic of utmost importance, the role of NOAA's weather satellite architecture in supporting our national security As a Floridian and a retired naval aviator, I have personally experienced the value of the data produced by these satellites. Whether tracking an approaching hurricane or preparing for an operational mission, timely and accurate weather forecasting is the critical first step in effective and strategic decision planning.
▶ 0:20:38NOAA plays a vital role in national defense readiness through its advanced infrastructure, technical capabilities, and leadership in data collection and modeling. From ocean expertise that guides naval submarines and surface ships to atmospheric data provided by satellites that enable Air Force hurricane hunters to operate in some of the most extreme weather conditions, these partnerships protect lives and Knowing the forecast often determines where and how to position troops and assets to stay one step ahead of our Weather can be an even greater threat
▶ 0:21:09to mission success than a fierce than the fiercest opponent. One of the most consequential military operations of the last century, D-Day D-Day, the invasion that marked the beginning of the end of World War II, was delayed by a day based on weather forecasting. That operation, years in the making, required precise environmental conditions, a full moon for visibility, calm seas for successful amphibious assault, and clear skies to ensure air support.
▶ 0:21:33Allied forecasters identified deteriorating and recommended a delay, a decision that proved critical for success. By contrast, weather conditions were not adequately considered during the 1980 mission to rescue hostages in Iran, and tragically lives were lost. Like D-Day, that operation required specific environmental conditions. However, vital information drawn from historical weather records never reached planners and decision-makers, and the absence of real-time data prevented operators from anticipating a dust storm.
▶ 0:22:03Since then, the integration of weather information into military planning and execution has rightly been recognized as essential to mission success. During my time as a naval aviator, every mission briefing began with a weather report. Even when every other element of a mission is carefully planned, unfavorable weather can cause it to fail before it ever begins.
▶ 0:22:22According to NOAA, approximately 95% of the data used in weather forecasting models comes from satellites, providing continuous around-the-clock coverage for the military, civilians, and a wide range of commercial enterprises. We must ensure that this data remains both continuously available and fully secure, particularly when supporting military operations. This infrastructure extends far beyond Earth, nearly a million miles away, we are closely monitoring the sun.
▶ 0:22:50Accurate space weather forecasting is crucial to protecting satellite constellations and ground-based radar systems. As we improve our understanding of space weather effects, we are better equipped to safeguard assets in both low-Earth orbit and geostationary orbit. Massive solar events, including coronal mass ejections, can disrupt communications, GPS signals, and satellite instruments. As with terrestrial weather, earlier and more accurate detection enables decision-makers to act swiftly to protect assets.
▶ 0:23:19Hearings like these help Congress better understand the vital interconnections among entities whose missions may appear uh distinct but are deeply intertwined. As the next generation of weather satellites is developed, this understanding will strengthen our oversight and enhance our appreciation of NOAA's contribution to national security. I thank our witnesses again for being here today, and I look forward to hearing each of your testimonies. I now recognize the ranking member of the subcommittee for an opening
▶ 0:23:46Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Uh Along with Chairman Franklin, I'd like to thank the witnesses for joining us here today to discuss the importance of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites and how we can improve the interagency partnership between NOAA and the Department of NOAA's environmental satellite programs play a critical role in collecting and disseminating Earth observation data.
▶ 0:24:10Everyone relies on this data, from the public, from private, and academic sectors to federal agencies like the Defense Department. And it's no secret that the more data we have access to, the better we can prepare uh and respond to uh extreme weather But its utility does not end there. This data helps farmers know when to plant and harvest their crops, airplanes navigate the skies, and ships traverse dangerous seas.
▶ 0:24:41NOAA didn't notify Congress that it was going to modify its plan for the next generation of geostationary satellites. We had to learn this news from leaks. We learned that NOAA canceled several satellite instruments and reduced the number of satellites from three to two.
▶ 0:24:57It's not clear how these cuts will ensure the next generation of satellites has more capabilities than the current This very committee has held oversight hearings on NOAA's weather satellite programs in the past when they faced delays or rising costs. Now the situation is even more dire. We must conduct oversight into the possibility that critical data will be lost due to the Trump administration's political and ideological motivations. That's extremely troubling.
▶ 0:25:26The claim that the bulk of the next generation of satellite capabilities were canceled due to so-called cost constraints doesn't hold water. How do I know this? Because those decisions were made before any congressional input on the budget. I want to be really clear here that NOAA's mission goes just beyond just weather research and predictions. NOAA must understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts. Where's that from?
▶ 0:25:56That's a quote from NOAA's website. I think members on both sides of the aisle would agree with that mission. Someone else agrees. Uh Dr. Steve Volz, the long-time assistant administrator of NESDIS. Dr. Volz has been an expert in this field for decades. He's highly respected as a public servant and under different circumstances he would be sitting on this panel today. But NOAA political leadership placed him on administrative leave last July without cause or explanation. He's still on administrative leave today.
▶ 0:26:27His sidelining is a tremendous loss for an agency of such importance to the American people. It's yet another example of this administration's hostility to civil servants and scientific expertise. Mr. Chairman, I ask for unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter that Dr. Volz submitted to the committee for today's hearing.
▶ 0:26:45Without objection, so moved.
▶ 0:26:47And I do want to emphasize that he's submitting this letter to Congress in his personal capacity as a citizen and an acknowledged expert. He does not claim to represent the agency in its comments. That is what we'll hear more But, what he's telling us is very concerning. In his letter, Dr. Volds writes that the most significant new threats to NOAA satellite data are proposals by the agency's current leadership.
▶ 0:27:12He states that the canceled upgrades I mentioned earlier will stall progress in critical areas and will lead to reductions in overall system and mission performance. He warns of significant risks in the push to expand NOAA's commercial data purchases. And he highlights the absurdity of this administration's push to create an artificial distinction between weather observations on one hand and other environmental observations. There is That's not That's not science. That's politics. And Dr.
▶ 0:27:42Volds' voice is one that we should be listening to, not So, today's hearing will be a good opportunity to discuss these very concerns. And I cannot stress enough the importance of NOAA satellites providing uninterrupted environmental observations. Any potential satellite launch delay or information degradation could be devastating to national security, the economy, and most importantly, public safety.
▶ 0:28:09As you all know, human lives are on the I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today about the importance of NOAA's [clears throat] observation capabilities. I'm grateful for your service and thank you. I yield back.
▶ 0:28:23Thank you, Ranking Member Amo. I now recognize the chairman of the full committee, Chairman Babin, for a
▶ 0:28:28Thank you very much. Good morning. I appreciate our subcommittee chairman, Mr. Franklin, for presiding over this timely hearing. And I'd also like to thank the witnesses for being here today. Looking forward to your As the gentleman from Florida noted, one of America's greatest triumphs was due in large part to accurately predicting the weather. Uh that success stemmed from meticulous data collection in the right places, allowing US forces to stay several steps ahead of our adversaries.
▶ 0:28:59Decades later, as Presidents Kennedy and Eisenhower reflected on the Normandy invasion, President Kennedy asked how the operation had been so successful. President Eisenhower's reply was simple, because we had better meteorologists than the Germans did. That lesson still holds today. NOAA's satellite architecture and forecasting capabilities remain crucial to advancing our national security.
▶ 0:29:27One of this committee's top priorities in recent years has been enhancing the accuracy of weather forecasting in the United States. NOAA's short- and long-term forecasts rely on data from multiple sources, including fleets of satellites operating in both polar and geostationary orbits. These systems provide essential observations of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans, supporting forecast development, and improving Excuse me, preparedness for extreme weather events.
▶ 0:29:58This committee held multiple hearings on the status of various satellite Excuse [clears throat] me. And since our last review, progress has continued toward advancing NOAA's broader mission. As a roughly $6 billion agency, NOAA must strategically stretch every dollar appropriated by Congress.
▶ 0:30:20I look forward to discussing with our witnesses how financial arrangements between NOAA and the Department of Defense are structured, particularly regarding the transfer of satellites that have exceeded their planned operational lifetimes. NOAA often shoulders significant responsibility for supporting DoD requirements. We know, for example, that NOAA transferred legacy GOES satellites to the Department of Defense at no cost.
▶ 0:30:49NOAA also provides operational and facilities support through the Satellite Operations Facility at Suitland, Maryland, while the Department of Defense compensates NOAA for operational support, the satellites themselves are transferred without any reimbursement.
▶ 0:31:08This the transfer may also reduce NOAA's operational redundancy as a retired satellite is moved to other operational areas and no longer serves as a backup over the over the United States. I think that we can all agree that putting a retired satellite to use in support of the warfighter is an excellent and good thing, but it is worth noting that DOD has a much bigger budget than NOAA does. This hearing will highlight
▶ 0:31:38where progress is being made and identify additional steps to strengthen our most critical mission, and that is protecting lives and property. The long-standing cooperation between NOAA and DOD on weather satellites benefits both organizations, to be sure. It is important for policy policy makers to ensure that both agencies are equally contributing to the shared cost of of improving forecasting.
▶ 0:32:05At a time of tight fiscal constraints, finding efficiencies is an imperative. Discussions like these help inform future legislation that puts American interests in space first. As adversaries such as China and Russia continue to press forward, we must ensure that, just as we did before at Normandy, we remain steps steps ahead. I look forward to hearing from our expert witnesses, and I yield back the remainder of my My Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:32:36Thank you, Chairman Babin, and I now recognize the ranking member of the full committee for her statement.
▶ 0:32:40Uh thank you, uh Chairman Franklin and uh Ranking Member Amo for convening this uh discussion on the importance of weather satellites, and I'd also like to thank our witnesses for appearing uh before the committee today. Our ability to protect lives, property, and national security depends on the uninterrupted flow of weather, climate, and ocean observations provided by NOAA's satellite system.
▶ 0:33:05In my home state of California and across the West, wildfire seasons uh are becoming longer, more intense, more destructive. In 2025 alone, California experienced a total of 8,036 wildfires, resulting in over half a million acres burned with 31 lives lost.
▶ 0:33:26Our ability to anticipate ignition risk, detect active fires, track smoke, and support emergency response depends on timely, reliable information. NOAA's weather satellites provide that information, enabling firefighters and emergency managers to allocate resources, protect communities, and respond before disasters escalate. But, the importance of NOAA's environmental satellite data extends far beyond uh civilian uh disaster response.
▶ 0:33:55Uh the satellites support essential functions across the federal government from aviation safety, maritime operations, uh to protecting vital infrastructure and economic interests. NOAA's mission is, and I think really must remain, a civilian public service mission. At the same time, the data and uh services NOAA provides are indispensable uh to enhancing our nation's national security operations.
▶ 0:34:22Weather, climate, and environmental data inform nearly every military operation, including flight planning, naval maneuvering, troop safety, and strategic logistics. The loss or degradation of NOAA satellite data would not only weaken civilian weather forecasting, but it would also undermine military readiness. The Department of Defense does not duplicate NOAA satellite capabilities, however, nor could it easily replace them.
▶ 0:34:49It simply makes sense for NOAA to maintain the federal weather satellite capabilities for the benefit of the For decades, NOAA and DOD have worked together through partnerships that respect clear roles and shared interests.
▶ 0:35:04These collaborations, rooted in data sharing, research coordination, and operational foresight, demonstrate how civilian and defense agencies uh can work together effectively when the responsibilities are well defined and governance is clear.
▶ 0:35:20Now, NOAA's expertise in environmental data collection and strategic analysis, combined with DOD's superb operational capabilities, creates framework for projects and initiatives that leverage both agencies' strengths and maximize the return on investment of federal resources.
▶ 0:35:39One example is the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, or For more than 40 years, DMSP data has been used by both civilian and military forecasters, particularly in polar regions where observations are limited but operational demands are very high. Recent uncertainty surrounding the continuation of DMSP underscore just how vital these capabilities are.
▶ 0:36:05Last July, uh with the DOD, abruptly announced the termination of the DMSP data provision to the civilian user community, which resulted in a public outcry for the unexpected early decommission just as hurricane season was starting. Following this decision, DOD announced a pushback of the sunsetting of DMSP to this fall to allow more time to bring on alternate data sources.
▶ 0:36:32The initial termination of this program and public outrage reinforced a fundamental lesson. Interruption of environmental data is not optional. Gaps in coverage create world consequences, real world consequences for forecasting accuracy, emergency response, and operational planning. At the same time, history also offers a cautionary tale.
▶ 0:36:57The National Polar Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, that's quite a mouthful, otherwise known as was intended to merge civilian and defense satellite requirements into a single program and instead, as we know, a series of difficulties in instrument development resulted in big schedule delays, cost overruns, and ultimately the program's dissolution.
▶ 0:37:24The lessons learned from NPOESS are not that interagency collaboration should be avoided. It is that collaboration must be structured with effective communication among the various stakeholders involved in the creation and advancement of a satellite system. Lessons learned from the failed NPOESS development led to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite or GOES program, a successful collaboration between NOAA and NASA.
▶ 0:37:51As we look ahead, this committee must ensure that NOAA's satellite programs are adequately funded, responsibly managed, and protected from decisions that would degrade their core mission. We should strengthen partnerships that work while avoiding arrangements that compromise accountability, data continuity, or NOAA's independence as a civilian science agency.
▶ 0:38:13I think maintaining that balance is really essential to protecting lives and to supporting our national security, and to ensuring that the United States remains a leader in environmental intelligence and as Ike said, uh we had better weather forecasters than the Germans. So, with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 0:38:31Thank you, Ranking Member Lofgren. Um let me now introduce our witnesses. Our first witness today is Ms. Irene Uh she currently serves as a Deputy Assistant Administrator Administrator for systems for National Environmental Satellite Data and Services, uh NESDIS, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA. A lot of acronyms today, so especially in the satellite world. I thought we had it in naval aviation, the satellite world has us beat there. Uh Ms.
▶ 0:38:57Parker has 20 years of experience in all facets of information technology, security, enterprise architecture in both public and private sectors. Our next witness is Colonel Brian Mundt I'm sorry. He is Chief of the Weather Operations Divisions within the US Air Force.
▶ 0:39:14He leads a 14-member team spanning six duty locations in the development of strategic plans for the employment and advancement of environmental monitoring, analysis, prediction, and integration capabilities to boost Air Force, Army, Space Force, and Intelligence Community operations and priorities. And our final witness is Dr. Christopher Extrem, who is a Deputy Oceanographer and Navigator of the US Navy. He also serves as a Technical Director to the Oceanographer. And before coming to OPNAV, Dr.
▶ 0:39:42Extrem served as the Head of Requirements and R&D for precise time and astrometry at the US Naval I now recognize Ms. Parker for 5 minutes to present her testimony.
▶ 0:39:56Good morning, Chairman Franklin, Ranking Member Amo, and members of the subcommittee. I'm Irene Parker, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for systems for NOAA's National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, otherwise known as I'm pleased to join you and our colleagues from the Air Force and US Navy today to discuss NOAA's satellite programs and its critical contribution to the nation's economic, national, and homeland security.
▶ 0:40:20The United States depends on NOAA to collect and provide critical satellite observations needed for weather forecast, disaster preparedness, hazard response and recovery, and the protection of national resources. Our mission is fundamentally to monitor the global environment to protect lives and property from severe weather events. NOAA's strong satellite observation portfolio, collecting data from 500 miles to 1 million miles from the Earth, is critical for National Weather Service's numerical weather prediction models.
▶ 0:40:49This allows us to provide forecasts up to 10 days in advance for terrestrial weather and up to 3 days in advance for space weather events. Lead times are vital for preparation. Our space-based data provides crucial minute-by-minute information that enables the nation to prepare for and respond to natural hazards. For example, our satellites track the formation, intensity, and path of hurricanes and severe storms, allowing forecasters to issue timely warnings for evacuation and preparation.
▶ 0:41:17We also monitor precipitation patterns and soil moisture to predict flood potential and track the extent and severity of droughts. Furthermore, we monitor volcanic eruptions, providing critical ash cloud warnings to protect aviation and public health, and our satellite imagery detects the heat signatures of new wildfires and tracks the movements of smoke, which is essential for managing suppression efforts and issuing air quality warnings.
▶ 0:41:42Crucially, our systems provide early warnings for space weather events like geomagnetic storms and coronal mass ejections, which protects critical infrastructure like the electrical power grid, telecommunications, and aviation. To continue providing vital data, NOAA is developing the next generation satellites: otherwise known as GeoXO; Space Weather Next; and the Near Earth Orbit Network, otherwise known as NEON.
▶ 0:42:07These programs will ensure a continuous supply of data to support decision-makers across the nation. Also, we will continue to leverage data from our international partners and buy data where feasible from the commercial The collaboration between NOAA and the Department of Defense is deep, long-lasting partnership that serves a as a force multiplier for the US DOD's national security mission heavily relies on NOAA satellite data from our geostationary, low Earth orbit, and space weather assets, along with our commercial data
▶ 0:42:37buys and international partner data. This continuous flow of data is critical for military operations. We support DOD's operations by operating their Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, otherwise known as DMSP, and we transfer older GOES satellites for the DOD mission when feasible by NOAA and as needed by DOD. NOAA operates these spacecrafts on a reimbursable basis.
▶ 0:43:01While our respective responsibilities are different, we share an operational need for 24/7 uninterrupted access to global weather and environmental data. We appreciate Congress's strong support for NOAA's satellite programs and the recognition that a strong NOAA space-based constellation is important for the nation's economic, national, and homeland security. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in today's hearing, and I'm happy to answer your
▶ 0:43:27Thank you, Mrs. Parker. I now recognize Colonel Mondank for 5 minutes to present his testimony.
▶ 0:43:34Good morning, Chairman Babin, Ranking Member Lofgren, Subcommittee Chairman Subcommittee Ranking Member Amo, and distinguished members of the committee. On behalf of Secretary Minchin and General Wilson, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you. I'm Colonel Brian Mondank. I serve as the Chief Weather Operations Division for the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. In this position, I lead a team charged with developing strategic plans and integration efforts on behalf of the 4,100 member Air Force weather functional community.
▶ 0:44:01I'm honored to join my NOAA and my Navy colleague this morning and to provide an Air Force service perspective on the critical roles NOAA plays in supporting and enabling the security of our nation. Air Force weather provides full spectrum support to the Air Force, but also the Space Force, Army, and intelligence community missions and equities stateside and abroad in accordance with public law and at classification levels necessary to safeguard national security This support enables warfighters to exploit environmental effects to create dilemmas
▶ 0:44:31for our adversaries while optimizing freedom of action for friendly forces and ultimately hoans the military instrument of power. Our ability to sense and make sense of the current and future states of the operating environment relies on data received from and through NOAA. As the World Meteorological Organization global information system center, NOAA operates the the hub through which vital data flow via the global telecommunication system.
▶ 0:44:59This is our primary connection to a vast array of global observations, and these observations comprise the majority of environmental information necessary for American airmen to deliver tailored support ranging from resource protection to anticipating adversary actions and NOAA's operation of space-based environmental monitoring satellites provide data essential to near real-time decision-making and to our ability to predict conditions via numerical weather As we've heard, on behalf of the department, NOAA operates the aging Defense Meteorological
▶ 0:45:30Satellite Program constellation and adjust satellite scan strategies to support combatant commander requirements. NOAA's own satellites contribute to our understanding of data sparse areas as as we've discussed, um, high latitudes, upper atmosphere, both increasingly important for homeland defense. Moreover, NOAA serves as a connection to international providers facilitating the receipt of key partner satellite data. NOAA's national security linkages extend beyond foundational data and operating environmental observing satellites.
▶ 0:46:00For example, NOAA operates the National and Central Pacific Hurricane Centers to provide timely, relevant information to empower installation-level decision-making and force protection when tropical weather threatens. NOAA contributes to the operations and sustainment of the WSR-88D weather radars and launches weather balloons, both sensing weather conditions on which airmen rely to understand and mitigate risk to mission and risk to force.
▶ 0:46:24NOAA operates the Space Weather Prediction Center, which provides data and models enabling our understanding of electromagnetic interference, communications disruptions, and positioning errors. NOAA also produces flood and fire danger assessments for the US locations. These shape emergency installation emergency managers' risk mitigation and response.
▶ 0:46:45And as the lead agency for the National Hurricane and National Winter Season Operations Plans, NOAA is linked to the Department to best employ the Air Force's reserves high-demand aerial reconnaissance capability. These interdependencies are not new. Both Air Force Weather and the National Weather Service trace organizational history back to the US Army Signal Service circa 1870.
▶ 0:47:08Over the decades, these organizations have evolved into key components of an interagency meteorological enterprise that is a national asset for mitigating risk and ensuring national security. These linkages represent significant cost avoidance through sensing and data handling without duplicative systems.
▶ 0:47:25And while we maintain the capacity to ensure continuity of critical vital functions performed by NOAA bodies are neither duplicated nor replicable at Given the wide-ranging data, product, process dependencies between the organizations, the Air Force considers NOAA's contributions to be critical to successful Air Force operations and safety, not just stateside, but abroad. And beyond current operations, the research, development, testing, and evaluation stewarded by NOAA ultimately enable warfighter decision advantage.
▶ 0:47:56Again, thank you for the opportunity to testify and I look forward to your
▶ 0:48:00Thank you, Colonel. I now recognize Dr. Ekstrom for 5 minutes for his testimony.
▶ 0:48:05Good morning, Chairman Babin, Ranking Member Lofgren, Subcommittee Chairman Franklin, Subcommittee Ranking Member Amo, and distinguished members of the committee. On behalf of the Oceanographer of the Navy, thank you for this opportunity to testify testify before you. As Deputy Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy, I assist in directing the Navy's Oceanography, Meteorology, and Navigation programs, overseeing everything from policy and resources to strategic planning to ensure the Navy and Marine Corps' warfighting superiority.
▶ 0:48:35It's an honor to be here today with my NOAA and US Air Force colleagues to discuss the critical relationships between us in supporting national security mission. The Navy-NOAA partnership is fundamental to the Navy's warfighting advantage and national security. Our ability to produce strategic, operational, and tactical meteorological and oceanographic forecasts relies heavily on the weather and ocean data we receive from NOAA.
▶ 0:49:00While the department maintains its own sensing capabilities, over 2/3 of the data ingested into the Navy forecast system originates from external sources and is provided by or through NOAA.
▶ 0:49:14This includes data from its satellite network, surface and upper air observation systems, and ocean observing This reliance is a deliberate policy decision validated by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council to leverage civil capabilities rather than duplicate them within the defense The deep-rooted collaboration between Navy and NOAA is formalized through the Oceanographer of the Navy's role as the Naval Deputy to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the NOAA Administrator.
▶ 0:49:44This position, which was established in the 1970s, ensures that we avoid duplication of federal oceanographic maintain a close relationship in research and development, and address national security considerations in NOAA Our cooperation is executed under a broad memorandum of agreement that allows for the sharing of data, information, and capabilities that advance American prosperity and This framework supports many joint activities, including ocean and atmospheric sensing,
▶ 0:50:14hurricane forecasting, hydrographic and the US National Naval Ice Center. The Navy benefits tremendously from this partnership by applying NOAA data, products, and capabilities to impact daily operations across the full spectrum of naval warfare. NOAA provides raw data from space-based environmental monitoring, as well as communications architecture to enable 24/7 operations of critical numerical prediction that is vital to national and strategic military programs.
▶ 0:50:45NOAA provides conventional observations, as well as data products that are foundational for forecasting that ensure safety of navigation, safety of flight, and resource protection. Additionally, NOAA provides the Navy with a wealth of bathymetry and hydrography data, which is incorporated in electronic charts that allows for the safe maneuvering, navigation, and transit of Navy and other military vessels engaged in homeland defense and national security missions.
▶ 0:51:14This shared responsibility also allows the Navy survey capabilities to focus on global requirements away from US shores. Our nation's military success is a critical component of our national and is predicated on the comprehensive collection, processing, and exploitation of environmental data.
▶ 0:51:33The loss of NOAA-provided data, information, and infrastructure, from satellite command and control to the dissemination of oceanographic, atmospheric, and ionospheric data, would immediately degrade the efficacy of the full spectrum of naval operations across the globe. Loss of observational data would also directly and negatively impact the Navy's ability to maximize the safety and effectiveness of our forces through weather and ocean prediction.
▶ 0:52:00Take anti-submarine warfare for an A loss of data would drastically reduce the accuracy of undersea acoustic which are a key enabler of our undersea The reliance on NOAA data and capabilities has never been more important for national security. Again, it's an honor to appear before you this morning. I appreciate your time and look forward to answering any questions you may have. Thank you.
▶ 0:52:25I thank all the witnesses for their testimony and now recognize myself for 5 minutes of questions. Your agencies are partners in the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation JCSDA, the primary interagency mechanism for turning observations into operational forecast improvements that are critical to national security. I spoke in our last subcommittee hearing about the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program DMSP, citing security concerns for ending their data collection early.
▶ 0:52:54Currently, the Department of War is working on their next generation program, the Weather System Follow-on Microwave Program or WSFM, with one satellite currently in orbit and the next slated to launch in 2028. To all of our witnesses and and starting with Ms. Parker, what concrete steps are your agencies taking to accelerate research to operations, avoid duplication, and ensure JCSDA is adequately resourced to deliver its on its mission on time?
▶ 0:53:21Thank you for your question. So, what we are doing is right now we have been working with our DoD counterparts and we have already obtained the data flow for WSFM that launched this past year and we started obtaining that data flow as of the summer of 2025. We work with DoD to ensure that we are partnering with them to calibrate and validate the data to ensure that the data that's coming from that space-based observational system is accurate and then turning them into very valuable products.
▶ 0:53:50I can say that it during the hurricane season this past year, we were able to actually leverage the WSFM data. The National Hurricane Center did leverage that as a part of their hurricane forecasting. We continue to plan to work with our DOD counterparts as they launch their second satellite capability to ensure that the data is delivered on a timely and accurate basis and that we will continue to work with them to develop appropriate products that would then feed into our numerical weather prediction and forecasting capabilities to
▶ 0:54:20ensure that we're improving our hurricane forecasts and other capabilities. Thank you.
▶ 0:54:28Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Excuse me for the the question. We're communicating. Um we're communicating across to the strategic, operational, and tactical levels uh to look to the future. Uh what we're highlighting here, especially with JCSDA, is is actually worth celebrating uh that we've been able to come together, bring uh subject matter experts into a joint center uh to be able to advance uh kind of our nation's future uh as we bring additional technologies online, uh the JCSDA is
▶ 0:54:58is is the conduit through which through the the technologies they're developing that we're going to be able to onboard those into the next generation modeling capabilities as good as possible. And so, communication that's occurring at the operational levels is facilitating that. Our touchpoints that uh Ms. Parker just uh described, uh passing technical information, passing test information is is going to be critical. And so, I I would highlight JCSDA and uh and our looking to the future as as a success um and and something that we should
▶ 0:55:30Doctor, do you have things you can add to that?
▶ 0:55:33Um yes, please. I will echo Colonel Bon Henks comment about communication. Uh That's a strength and how we're going to most efficiently move forward. We are involved in the requirements discussions for the next generation of NOAA satellites. We feel heard. We feel listened to. participating in the requirements evaluation and their build process for GeoXO and Neon.
▶ 0:56:02Moving to JCSDA We are heavily involved in JCSDA. We provide both in kind and direct support as a service. And we have baselined [music] the JCSDA data data assimilation engine into the next generation Navy atmospheric model. That's in our baseline for transition. We're leveraging the community code, the community support and coordination, harvesting those efficiencies across the Thank you.
▶ 0:56:32All right, thank you doctor. And I have several other questions, but for the interest of keeping it going and giving everybody a chance, I'll now recognize the ranking member for his questions.
▶ 0:56:41Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Parker, in my remarks earlier I referred to changes to the next generation of geostationary satellites are important to the safety and the future as as we've described. Can you confirm for the record what contracts you have canceled or de-scoped related
▶ 0:57:06Thank you for your question. So, the GeoXO program is focused on a four satellite constellation that will be east and west and it will have a imager. And in addition, it will also be have a new observational capability called the hyperspectral infrared sounder. And we are looking to also see if we can accommodate a lightning mapper. From a contractual perspective, we have awarded our imager contract to L3Harris. We have awarded our BAE our hyperspectral infrared sounding contract to BAE.
▶ 0:57:37Our lightning mapper contract to Lockheed Martin and our spacecraft contract to Lockheed Martin. As a part of the administration's direction, we did descope two instruments, ocean color and atmospheric composition. This was to be able to make sure that we are focusing our what focusing on the public safety weather mission. Those two contracts were with BAE and they have been terminated.
▶ 0:58:03Okay. So, you know, they're we're cutting back to two satellites and putting an advanced sensor only on the East means that part of the country only part of the country will benefit from better storm tracking. Is that Is that
▶ 0:58:21So, the core observation requirement from NOAA National Weather Service is the imager and the imager will be on both the East and West constellation. That is the key instrument that provides that provides detection and monitoring of severe weather, hurricane tracking, wildfire tracking. And so, that instrument will be on both East and West.
▶ 0:58:44Okay. Well, look, I think it's it's important to note that we have to make sure that there's coverage for both the East and the West because any inadequate protection from dangerous, you know, weather like flash floods and tornadoes has an impact on life. We know how serious this can be after the flash floods in Texas last summer that killed 138 people. So, you know, my call is that we should not use old weather tools when when people's lives are at stake.
▶ 0:59:13Now, we're also tracking that NOAA canceled several equipment contracts. I'm not sure that this is the case because of costs because Congress did not cut the funding for the GOxO program before those contracts were canceled. Do you have a sense of the reason uh for cutting uh the the support for these
▶ 0:59:35As uh per the direction of the administration, they had requested NOAA satellite programs to focus on the public safety mission, specifically on helping in severe weather forecasting and hurricane improving hurricane forecasting. And to be able to do that, we reevaluated our GOES-O program scope and ensured that we focused on that core
▶ 0:59:55Okay. Well, while while it hasn't passed the Senate yet, the FY26 House Senate Commerce, Justice, Science funding agreement endorses advanced imaging and atmospheric sounding on both East and West satellites to sustain core capabilities. Once this bill is passed, my ask uh is will NOAA adhere to the law and follow this direction that that we set out when we passed this legislation?
▶ 1:00:19Yeah. Thank you for your question. As long as the president enacts that law, we will ensure that we always execute the laws enacted by the
▶ 1:00:27Great. We'll be tracking that. Um now, Ms. Parker, you and I had an opportunity to connect yesterday. We talked about the current activities in NESDIS. We also spoke about NASA's critical role in developing our weather satellites and the fantastic partnership that NOAA and NASA have. I just want to clarify a couple things for the record in my remaining time.
▶ 1:00:49Does the current management control plan along with other agreements or arrangements between NOAA, NESDIS, and NASA maintain NASA as the primary acquisition agent for satellite programs and projects?
▶ 1:01:02Yes, and it also clarifies in the updated management control plan that NOAA has the authority to approve the actual acquisition strategy. Does NOAA have the same procurement authorities as NASA to conduct acquisitions for satellite system
▶ 1:01:19And as I understand it, the NASA Joint Agency Satellite Decision uh a division rather JSD at NASA headquarters has been responsible for oversight and management of NASA's NOAA programs while NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has been responsible for implementation. When and for what reason was there a change to uh eliminate uh JSD's oversight role?
▶ 1:01:41Thank you for your question. So, working with both NASA headquarters and NASA Goddard leadership, we determined that we wanted to focus our our satellite acquisitions to be very excellent in both technical and programmatic execution. So, we evaluated where we had duplicative oversight and where we needed to streamline the process. So, all three parties worked together to update the management control plan to remove uh duplicative oversight and to streamline the uh procedures in place to be able to do programmatic execution.
▶ 1:02:12So, that is what we did and so what's now occurs is that NOAA and NESDIS work with Goddard, specifically the Goddard Space Flight Center to ensure programmatic and technical execution of our satellite acquisition programs. We work with NASA Launch Services Program to ensure that we have the adequate launch services vehicles associated with executing our next generation program.
▶ 1:02:34Thank you. My my time is expired. I yield back.
▶ 1:02:37Gentleman yields back. The chair chair now recognizes the chairman of the full committee, Dr. Babin.
▶ 1:02:42Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um Following the cancellation of ENPOES, the White House directed plan assigned responsibility for the nation's low Earth orbit weather satellite constellation as follows. NOAA would manage the afternoon orbit. uh our MetOp would uh satellites would cover the mid-morning orbit and DOD would assume responsibility for the early morning orbit.
▶ 1:03:11At present, DOD relies on its legacy defense meteorological satellite program as has mentioned this morning, DMSP, to fulfill that role. But, DMSP is scheduled to go offline in September of '26, this year. Colonel Monteith, is DOD still planning to assume responsibility for the early morning orbit of our nation's LEO satellite architecture architecture?
▶ 1:03:41Thank you for the question. Um so, since that decision was made, just for a point of uh clarification, uh we we've uh created the United States Space Force. And so, uh I I I do have some uh information I'd like to contribute to your answer, um but for the the true answer would need to go to the United States Space Force, who now holds the requirement uh to solution against um our space-based environmental monitoring requirements from from the other services.
▶ 1:04:12Uh throughout that decision and uh to current day, uh the plan has uh relied on our family of systems that in includes uh the NOAA contributions, our department contributions, and that of international partners. And so, uh from uh an Air Force [snorts] functional perspective, uh we we feel like our mission needs are being met via the family of systems.
▶ 1:04:38And then, for technical uh decisions regarding um our solutions would need to go to the Space Force.
▶ 1:04:46plan to fly the uh the VIIRS, uh visible infrared imaging radiometer uh suite, which was designed by NOAA to meet DOD requirements? In fact, Dr. Ekstrom or Colonel, which which ever one can answer that question.
▶ 1:05:07Thank you for the question. Um as Colonel Monteith mentioned, the uh Space Force is responsible for the technical uh solutions levied against the Um I am not aware of plans to fly viewers, but that question would have to be verified and validated by the Space to maybe amplify on Colonel Mundy's um answer about the early morning orbit. Uh we are consumers of data. We rely on that early morning orbit being populated.
▶ 1:05:38And it's my understanding that the JROC has validated the requirements.
▶ 1:05:43Um for filling that orbit. Um and fulfilling our responsibilities in the family of systems.
▶ 1:05:50Okay. Secondly, NOAA and the Department of Defense have long maintained a strong operational partnership. NOAA provides critical data and satellite infrastructure that directly supports military operations and helps protect service members. NOAA provided DOD retired geostationary satellites to support DOD needs on two separate occasions. Mrs. Parker, is NOAA reimbursed by DOD for these satellites?
▶ 1:06:18Thank you for your question. So, the legacy GOES satellites that we transferred over to DOD, they do provide NOAA on a reimbursable basis the cost to fully operate those satellites.
▶ 1:06:31All right, then the answer is yes, we're being reimbursed.
▶ 1:06:34We are being reimbursed for the operational cost to operate those satellites on behalf of DOD.
▶ 1:06:40But not the cost of the launch getting the satellite where it is or anything of that nature then.
▶ 1:06:46Yes, specifically our reimbursable agreement is only for the operations and maintenance cost.
▶ 1:06:50Exactly. If NOAA experiences a failure of one of its operational geostationary weather satellites, does the transfer to DOD impact NOAA's ability to maintain continued operations if it no longer has a backup over the United States?
▶ 1:07:04No, we always have a on-orbit spare as a part of our geostationary constellation. So, we have a goes east, a goes west, and always an on orbit spare.
▶ 1:07:15Okay, thank you very much Mr. Mr. Chairman, I'm going to yield back.
▶ 1:07:19Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the representative from North Carolina, Ms. Ross for her questions.
▶ 1:07:25Thank you very much Chairman Franklin and Ranking Member Ammo for convening today's hearing on weather satellites and their importance for our national security. I also want to thank our distinguished witnesses for being here this morning. Weather satellites are among the most vital tools for our national security apparatus.
▶ 1:07:46Orbiting hundreds of thousands of miles above the earth, these satellites provide continuous real-time data about atmospheric conditions, space weather, ocean temperatures, and storm development. I'm going to get into storm development. This information underpins every major defense and emergency response mission in the 21st century.
▶ 1:08:09Weather influences military readiness from flight operations to ground troop movements, naval deployments, to communication systems. The data provided relies on satellite derived observations to forecast conditions in remote or contested environments around the world. These satellites also protect our nation's critical infrastructure.
▶ 1:08:34Space weather monitoring helps safeguard GPS, communication systems, and power grids from solar storms that could disrupt operations. On the civilian side, satellite data supports emergency management and disaster response. Early warning for hurricanes, floods, and severe storms save lives, reduce economic loss, and strengthen homeland security.
▶ 1:08:59This is in especially important in my home state of North Our state stretches from the Appalachian Mountains to more than 300 miles of Atlantic coastline. This makes us highly vulnerable to hurricanes, flooding, and severe Weather satellites played a critical role in every phase of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in western North Carolina in September of 2024.
▶ 1:09:29Military bases and our National Guard units used satellite-derived forecasts to maintain readiness for the disaster response mission. State and local officials issued evacuation orders and pre-positioned emergency resources based on information relayed from weather NOAA's National Weather Service used new flood inundation mapping forecasting tools to advise local emergency management where floodwaters would impact critical
▶ 1:09:59infrastructure, leading to the evacuation of a hospital and saving many lives. Hurricane Helene clearly demonstrated why satellite capability matters. And for that reason, I ask my colleagues to fully support NOAA's satellite programs and to never reduce funding. Ms.
▶ 1:10:21Parker, NOAA's National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Services is critical a critical component of the United States weather monitoring and forecasting infrastructure. How does this program enhance coordination among federal, state, and local agencies during major hurricane events like Hurricane Helene?
▶ 1:10:45And what lessons have we learned that we can apply to improve satellite data for the future?
▶ 1:10:54Thank you for your question and the support for NOAA and NOAA satellite programs. I have to say the reason I am a public servant is really to be able to save lives and property and NOAA's mission does that and that's why I get up every day doing the job that I love. I must say that the best thing that we're doing right now is in our next generation satellite program for geostationary, which is our geo our geo xo program.
▶ 1:11:15We're putting on a new capability, which is the hyperspectral infrared sounder and that capability is going to be able to help improve hurricane forecasting. So when you see on the news the cone of uncertainty, that instrument is going to help us decrease that cone of uncertainty. The other thing that's going to help us do is help with flood prediction monitoring.
▶ 1:11:36So it's going to hopefully be able to provide better observations that will go into those inundation models to even be more accurate and more So that's what we're really focusing on for our next generation satellite programs. Working with state and local communities is a core part of NOAA's mission. It's part of National Weather Service's core mission to make sure that we are having that dialogue with our boots on the ground talking to our local emergency managers. It's extremely important.
▶ 1:12:05NOAA's satellite observational information is used by National Weather Service on an hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute basis to be able to have those types of dialogues with those local emergency managers to make sure that they are prepared and that their communities are prepared when there is a severe weather weather event that's going to happen to make sure that they can evacuate on time, that they can protect their families, that they can protect their homes.
▶ 1:12:29And that is what NESDIS is really focused on is on our next generation satellites, not just for terrestrial weather. We're also focused on space weather because if there is a geomagnetic storm that occurs, that impacts our critical infrastructure like our GPS and our power grid. We have to make sure not only are we protecting terrestrial weather, but space weather because we have to protect our people's lives and livelihoods. Again, that is why I am here as a public servant working at NOAA. It is something I truly believe in. I started out National Weather Service.
▶ 1:12:59I'm now here at NESDIS building these amazing satellites, and I hope to continue to do that and provide that service to the American people.
▶ 1:13:05Thank you. Worth every penny, and I yield back.
▶ 1:13:08The gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes my colleague from Colorado, Mr. Hurd, for his 5-minutes questions.
▶ 1:13:15Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Parker, the GOES-R lightning mapper provides critical real-time data for wildfire detection and emergency response, particularly in states like Colorado with high altitude, lots of national parks, highly densely populated transportation As NOAA transitions from GOES-R to GeoXO, what is the agency's plan to continue to ensure continuous lightning mapping capability?
▶ 1:13:43Thank you for your question. So, as a part of our GOES-R program, we will continue to have the lightning mapper capability from a remote sensing perspective till mid-2030s. We will also
▶ 1:13:53That's on GOES-R, correct?
▶ 1:13:54Um that's on GOES-R. As a part of the next generation satellite program, we're in the process of evaluating our architecture and determining if we will continue to have a remote sensing capability for lightning mapper or if we will buy commercial ground lightning lightning mapper capabilities. That trade is ongoing right now. Um and then as we finish the trade
▶ 1:14:16This would be through NOAA?
▶ 1:14:17This would be through NOAA, and we will once we finish the trade assessment associated with that for our a geo our geostationary satellite program called GeoXO, we will submit a congressional baseline report like we always do when we officially baseline the program of record to articulate what our observations will be.
▶ 1:14:35What's the effectiveness of the ground detection versus the satellite
▶ 1:14:40Um thank you for that question. I'm not an expert in that, but I'm happy to take that question for the record.
▶ 1:14:45Okay. What's the design operational life for the lightning mapper on goes are right now the satellites that we I think last launched in 2022.
▶ 1:14:52Yeah, so our design life for our goes our programs are 10-year design life.
▶ 1:14:56Okay. So that's 2032 is the the expected lifetime capacity for that particular satellite with that
▶ 1:15:05So goes 19 was the last one that we launched which is now goes East and that be good till 2035. Goes West we need to make sure that we have the next generation GeoXO launched by 2032.
▶ 1:15:20Okay. And go GeoXO what's the life what's the lifespan of those of that
▶ 1:15:26Our requirement that we are evaluating is to ensure that it's 10 years of design life.
▶ 1:15:31Okay. What's the projected lifetime of that of that of that satellite system though? Is it 2050 2060?
▶ 1:15:37Right now we're trying to plan to the mid 2050s.
▶ 1:15:41Okay. So I'm trying to understand what the plan is. It's just strictly ground-based detection that we're going to be looking at after after the 2032 time frame when it comes to lightning detection in states like Colorado in the Is that's the plan that we're not going to be looking at anything that would include satellite capability.
▶ 1:16:01Like I said we're right now conducting the trades associated with the lightning mapper and once we've completed those trades we'll make sure that it's reported in the congressional baseline report articulating what the full information information suite will be on the GeoXO program.
▶ 1:16:16And if the effectiveness of the how does NOAA evaluate the effectiveness of these detection methodologies if it's ground solo or if it's satellite or if it's ground plus satellite how how does that process happen?
▶ 1:16:29Thank you for your question. Again, I'm not an expert specifically on lightning mapper but I'm happy to take that question for the record. Thank you Mr. Chairman I yield.
▶ 1:16:38Gentleman yields back the chair now recognizes my colleague from Virginia Mr. Beyer, for his question.
▶ 1:16:43Thank [snorts] you, Chairman Franklin. And Chairman Franklin, I recommend Ronald, thank you very much for putting this together and for welcoming me. And I'm I'm thrilled to be with such a distinguished group. I mean, Ms. Parker, to get a a math geek out of Johns Hopkins is very cool. Colonel Montanke, with your leadership of the weather operations division non-kinetic operations, you've been director of global weather operations. I mean, you come to this with this wonderful background.
▶ 1:17:11And I get some some guy with a PhD in experimental atomic physics from MIT. I'm going to learn more about your rubidium clocks. Really amazing stuff that you bring. So, thank you very much for being here today in a political environment. So, Ms. Parker, let me start with you. You know, NOAA, National Weather Service, have been targets of the Trump administration with crippling hiring freezes, early retirements, workforce cuts that left 550 positions vacant.
▶ 1:17:40And then threats of lease cancellations and threats of defunding. And National Weather Service had responded to that after severe public backlash, including from almost all of his previous directors, and try to undo the damage. But I'd really be interested in your perspective on the status of rehiring. Are the people that got fired originally given priority as you have to rehire?
▶ 1:18:03What's it like to try to replace um all those folks that had years of experience in doing weather forecasting with new people?
▶ 1:18:15Well, first of all, thank you for your question. Like I said, I started out National Weather Service. My heart is there, but I also do love my satellite programs. Um I will say that for NESDIS um we ended uh calendar year 2025 with 644 federal employees. We've lost 198 employees um from January 20th to the end of But, even though we have I had a loss in resources, we have been able to accomplish so much in calendar year 2025.
▶ 1:18:47Specifically, we were able to launch our space weather mission called SwiftO, space weather follow-on mission in September of 2025, which is our first operational space weather satellite mission that will be going to 1 million miles between us and the sun. Um we also were able to transition our last GOES-R satellite, GOES-19, into operations as GOES-East before the hurricane season.
▶ 1:19:11We are also able to ensure that we're on track for our lower earth orbit program, JPSS, for our next launch in 2027.
▶ 1:19:19Let Let me interrupt just for a second, but what you're basically saying is you you've been able to sustain all those loss of employees um with no real consequence?
▶ 1:19:29I what I'm saying is that we have prioritized leveraging our resources to our core mission essential functions, which is associated with saving lives and property and supporting national
▶ 1:19:39Okay, great. Let me move on to the same similar question for Colonel Montieth and Dr. Ekstrom that you know, the as both of you said really clearly that that the the Navy-NOAA partnership is essential for for our war-fighting advantage that um vital functions performed by NOAA can't be done by anyone else. But, we had a 1 and 1/2 billion funding cuts in the president's budget. Um how worried are you anxious are you that a billion and a half dollars in cuts will affect our weather war-fighting partnership?
▶ 1:20:12Um we are uh confident through our channels of open communication that that uh the national security mission is being heard. Um and uh you know, we we'll continue to to to work through that. Uh the specific details of of of what could be impacted as a result, I I I I we've highlighted, all of us in our testimony, uh the complex interdependencies between the organizations.
▶ 1:20:37And uh we would require specific knowledge of what data feeds data sets would be impacted to allow, uh you know, me to be able to comment on on what specifically uh could impact uh our ability to contact you know, conduct Air Force operations. Um You might have a follow-up question though, sir.
▶ 1:20:56Well, I just to the Dr. Ekstrom from the Navy perspective, you lose a billion and a half dollars in your budget. What impact does that have on your ability to do your job well?
▶ 1:21:07Okay. So, the the decision space for what is impacted is clearly known as Um we trust that we have open and robust lines of communication that so we are warned and can help in the evaluation of what they will be able to perform and what will or will not be provided to us in support of national security We have had discussions.
▶ 1:21:29Um and I am not aware of any major impacts for NOAA products that we will we will not anticipate having. Um but once again, I trust that our communication channels are robust and healthy and that we will be informed of any change in products from NOAA that might have impact us in our national security mission.
▶ 1:21:54Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 1:21:56Gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes my colleague from North Carolina, Mr. Rouzer for his questions.
▶ 1:22:01Thank you, um Mr. Chairman. Um I appreciate each of our witnesses being here today. Uh you do incredibly important work. I reside in um the the metropolitan area of my district, I guess you might say, Wilmington, North Carolina. Uh where we have one of NOAA's weather forecast offices. I've been there several times, including a couple years uh with Representative Ross, and and then again, uh, this past, uh, October.
▶ 1:22:30Um, I'll start, um, and any one of you, uh, can answer, uh, this question. Uh, could one of you, uh, speak to how NOAA works closely with the Department of War uh, to support mission planning, installation, operational safety, and training activities in coastal North Carolina, as well as around the country?
▶ 1:22:53Thank you for your question. I'll take the first stab. Um, so, um, we have a, uh, organization inside NOAA called NCEI, National Centers of Environmental Information, and they work closely with the Air Force's, uh, 14th Weather Office.
▶ 1:23:09Uh, and what they do is that they share, uh, data and information and review historical data to be able to help um, their respective communities, uh, from NCEI, the public, from the Air Force's perspective, um, their national security side to be able to make decisions on installations based off of historical weather information. Um, so with that, I'll I'll yield, um, to my colleagues over here to provide more information from their perspective.
▶ 1:23:38Certainly, the data used to inform such activities are that which we've been highlighting today, the strong interrelationships between the organizations, uh, the formal activities, at least from the Air Force perspective, are executed through our Secretariat, uh, of the Air Force level of, um, um, installations and energy. And, uh, if you'd like, uh, Congressman, I I'll take that for the record to get you, uh, more details on that process.
▶ 1:24:07Thank you for the question. Uh, beyond the prompt products we use for research um, we do use products from NOAA for planning, for planning construction, deciding what we need to build going out into the future. as with Colonel Mundy, that is a different area of the Navy. That's the RN4 shop. If you would like to get the details of the tools we use and benefit from from NOAA, we'd be happy to take that for the record.
▶ 1:24:34Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Uh Ms. Parker, um security of uh satellite data while working with international partners. Uh can you speak to that a little bit without uh sharing anything that perhaps we shouldn't in a public forum?
▶ 1:24:48Uh thank you for your questions. So, before this role, I was the CIO for Um NOAA and NESDIS specifically takes the concept of a zero trust concept, meaning any data that we get from any person, may it be our partners at DOD, may it be our academia partners, may it be our international partners, we have zero trust.
▶ 1:25:07So, therefore, what we do is we implement a capability called secure ingest, which basically takes the data uh not only does it of course does like scanning for viruses, it also checks the integrity of the data to make sure that nobody has changed the zeros and ones when it's come from that source to NOAA. Also, we use capabilities like steganography to basically look to see if there's any embedded images or text put in to the weather data before we go ahead and process it. We also follow NIST standards.
▶ 1:25:38Specifically, we follow NIST 853 [clears throat] rev 5.2 uh to ensure that we follow all security standards uh specifically from the integrity and the availability of our data, which is core for saving lives and property. We ensure that we follow those standards uh completely.
▶ 1:25:54Uh what um what impact is uh AI having in your respective realms?
▶ 1:26:02Thank you for your question. Um from the NESDIS perspective, as a part of a way have a organization called the NOAA Center of Artificial Intelligence. Um it's located in uh in Boulder, Colorado, and we work with them to uh figure out how we can use AI capabilities in our data simulation, specifically how we can maybe improve assimilating assimilating our data into the weather forecasting capability to help improve the weather forecast and saving lives and
▶ 1:26:32property. I'll defer to my colleagues.
▶ 1:26:35Yeah, Mr. Congressman given the time, I'll just say potentially revolutionary. Days ago, you know, the department put out a policy and forward basis of artificial intelligence and we we are very excited about what that could bring with our weather support and
▶ 1:26:54Thank you for the question. We have actually transitioned AI products to operations specifically for taking satellite imagery and estimating snow and ice additionally, through the Office of Naval Research, we are pursuing several different promising avenues for more rapid and efficient estimation of for the atmospheric large atmospheric models in addition
▶ 1:27:25to more efficient estimations of storm center and storm track and storm intensity for tropical cyclones and
▶ 1:27:35Very good. My time's expired. I yield
▶ 1:27:37Gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes my colleague from Maryland, Ms. McClain Delaney for her questions.
▶ 1:27:43Thank you to our chair and ranking members and thank you to our panelists. I'm really enjoying this. As a member on SST, I'm laser-focused on supporting and fully funding NOAA and its weather satellites to support our public safety and really underpin our US competitiveness and national security. I'm a representative for Maryland's 6th Congressional District, which Maryland, as you know, is home to NIST, NOAA, NASA Goddard, and many research agencies.
▶ 1:28:12And additionally, I worked for about 5 years in the international satellite arena and served as deputy assistant secretary of commerce and TIA. So, I frequently travel to the Boulder NTIA NIST NOAA campus and know it well and truly understand how inter-agency partnerships can enhance intercommunications to ensure the highest level of data security measures while safeguarding that critical information needed for forecasting and national security.
▶ 1:28:44late last year I signed on to a bipartisan letter to NOAA administrator administrator Jacobs emphasizing the importance of data assimilation to keep American forecasting superior and also to fully fund FY 26 funding. A leading effort in this area is the joint center for satellite data assimilation hosted by the University Corporation for atmospheric research.
▶ 1:29:12is a multi-agency research project of NOAA, NASA, and the US Navy and Air Force and is a primary agency mechanism for turning these investments into information critical to our national security. What concrete steps are your agencies taking to accelerate research to operations, avoid duplication, and ensure it is properly resourced to deliver on that mission? And by the way, I was very impressed by NOAA's Boulder campus when I saw it.
▶ 1:29:45Thank you for the question. We are heavily involved in JCSDA. We contribute both in kind and direct And as part of my research and development portfolio, the transitions the global weather and ocean models to operations for the Navy. We have committed to using the JCSDA data assimilation engines in our next generation atmospheric model.
▶ 1:30:11Um and it's showing showing great promise and efficiencies for our service and shared benefit uh across the Thank you.
▶ 1:30:24Thank you for the question, but I will essentially echo the same answer. It's a it's a direct uh financial contributions into JCSDA. our the future of our global and regional uh global weather our weather prediction uh rely on the technologies being uh developed there.
▶ 1:30:45And I should note for the record that the JCSDA leadership is actually over in the Pentagon meeting with us right now.
▶ 1:30:50That's great. Well, I I just think it's essential in our bipartisan letter, which was, you know, across the board said it was essential to like keep on funding that and to and you know, uh perpetuate America's leadership um and the everyday livelihoods um of our nation. Um Second, uh Ms. Parker, NASA by way of Goddard's Space Flight Center carries out the development of our weather environmental um satellites on NOAA's behalf and on a reimbursable basis.
▶ 1:31:19NOAA and NASA have an integrated program at NASA's Goddard to manage these efforts. I actually toured Goddard last week. According to a new recent New York Times article, Goddard has lost more than 34% of its civil servant and contractor workforce over the last year. How are the joint NOAA NASA satellite development programs impacted by staff losses and the lab and facilities closures and relocations at NASA Goddard? What can be done to mitigate those effects?
▶ 1:31:48Um thank you for your question. So, I work uh almost daily with um no and NASA Goddard leadership. One of the things that we've been discussing is with the changes of the Goddard's uh facility footprint to make sure that our satellite programs have uh an area to be able to continue to our work and we have ensured that actually all of our three programs for the first time will be in the same building together so we can have cross collaboration actually on the Goddard campus. So that's a very excellent development for us.
▶ 1:32:17Um as our for our staffing for our programs I we've been working with Goddard specifically a group called Code 500 which is their a flight program at Goddard ensuring that our joint satellite programs are fully staffed both in our geostationary lower orbit and space weather programs and so that communication is ongoing.
▶ 1:32:39Um lastly I just want to let you know that we have a meeting every month that's called a joint agency council between NASA Goddard and NOAA NESDIS leadership where we talk about programmatic technical human capital issues to ensure that we have ways to mitigate those risks to ensure successful continuity of our NOAA satellite programs.
▶ 1:32:59Thank you and I might have some follow-on questions for the record. Thank you.
▶ 1:33:04The gentleman yields back. The the chair now recognizes my colleague from Alaska Mr. Begich for his questions.
▶ 1:33:10Thank you Mr. Chair. Mrs. Parker although the CJS appropriations bill is not yet passed into law does NOAA feel the funding level Congress is intending to provide will satisfy NOAA's mission requirements as well as those of your military partners?
▶ 1:33:25Thank you for your question. Our next generation satellite programs are focused on making sure that we are aligning with our core mission requirements which is which is basically to align with public safety requirements as defined by National Weather Service.
▶ 1:33:41Right now we are on track to make sure all of our three constellations both the current programs of record of GOES-R JPSS and space weather follow-on along with our next generation programs of GeoXO Neon and space weather next can continue to meet the continuity of core
▶ 1:34:00Okay, so you feel like you're you you you should be appropriately resourced to achieve that mission.
▶ 1:34:05Um, I thanks for the question. I really do believe that based off of our current architecture that we have or we're um, we should be on track to ensure that we have core continuity of observations to meet our public safety mission.
▶ 1:34:19Thank you. Let's let's talk a little bit about, uh, space weather. You mentioned space weather just a moment ago. Coronal mass ejections represent a substantial risk to satellite Can you describe the risk to satellite infrastructure and the risk to consumer and business infrastructure that is increasingly reliant on satellite internet from CMEs?
▶ 1:34:40Yeah. Um, thank you for your question. So, um, as I said, NOAA is not just responsible for terrestrial weather, but for space weather. So, our NOAA satellite constellation monitors space weather observations in multiple orbits and monitors it at geostationary, so when it's coming close to Earth, we have that information. We monitor it in low Earth orbit and we also monitor it in deep space.
▶ 1:35:02The reason we do that is that these geomagnetic storms, when they occur, have a significant impact to critical infrastructure here on Earth along with the satellites that are in low Earth orbit. So, there can be impacts from these geomagnetic storms related to GPS outages. There can be impacts associated with these geomagnetic storms related to, um, communication, to the electrical power grid.
▶ 1:35:28So, what we do on the NESDIS side is we provide those critical observations to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center in Colorado and they use that data to issue appropriate alerts, um, not only to the general public. They work directly with, um, companies like SpaceX. They work with, uh, the power grid industry.
▶ 1:35:48They work with aviation weather to ensure that they understand what these alerts mean so those um, businesses can ensure that their concept of operations can adjust to ensuring that those geomagnetic storms don't impact them as they could if they weren't being as a part of that dialogue.
▶ 1:36:08So let's let's talk about sort of maybe the historical extreme event of a geomagnetic storm, the Carrington event. What would it occur today? Just give me some broad strokes if we were to see an event like that now.
▶ 1:36:22Um what I would say is that with our next generation space weather program we're trying to improve those observations so we would have longer lead times to be able to give our communities. So hopefully that by having those longer lead times for example if there was a geomagnetic storm we'd be working with the power grid industry, you know, days in advance to ensure that the voltages are changed appropriately so we don't have a loss in power.
▶ 1:36:46So that's what we're really focusing on is that in our next space weather observation suite that we improve the lead time for all of the warnings to help the businesses in our communities to not be as impacted by something like the Carrington event.
▶ 1:37:01And final question, do you believe in your view has sufficient investment been in infrastructure hardening and I'm talking about both satellite infrastructure and ground-based to protect against such an extraordinary geomagnetic storm as the Carrington
▶ 1:37:21Thank you for your question. I would have to take that question for the record as I'm not an expert in that
▶ 1:37:25Okay and I'm going to ask the same to Colonel Mundhank. Do you have any thoughts on that you'd like to to share with respect to infrastructure Military or non-military?
▶ 1:37:37Thank you for the the question. For private details you desire please allow me to take that for the record.
▶ 1:37:44Sounds good. Well I appreciate the work that you do every day. Certainly it's important for us to to to have good quality longitudinal data that we can utilize to better prepare for future events. Whether that be weather events or even space weather events and with that I see my time has expired. Thank you.
▶ 1:38:06Gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes the representative from Illinois, Mr. Foster for his questions.
▶ 1:38:12Thank you Mr. Chair and and to our witnesses. You know, one of the most important things that were aspects of weather prediction, I guess you could call it that, has to do with the exospheric density. And as we put more and more stuff in lower earth orbit, you know, there's all of the everything's SpaceX is putting up there and I guess there are now five competitors that are also going to put satellite arrays just for communication purposes.
▶ 1:38:36You know, we're now at least proposing with a golden dome to put, I don't know how many hundreds of billions of dollars of assets in very low earth orbit so that there's a quick response time for things that get launched. And so all of these things the the time that it takes them to fall out of orbit depends critically on the density of the And that is let's say the list of facts, you know, this while it's altitude obvious solar activity, time of day and season, climate change, geomagnetic storms, atmospheric tides.
▶ 1:39:06All of these things affect the density of the upper atmosphere and you know, I I have read that there have been times when whole sets of satellites have been launched not understanding that the exosphere was having a bad week and that these things then fall out of orbit.
▶ 1:39:21And so we're going to have to have a good understanding of what that exospheric density is, what the projections are, you know, both in under standard conditions, just you know, at the the sort of month by month or week by week fluctuation in the the size of the atmosphere and also the things that bad people can do.
▶ 1:39:40That if one of our not friendly neighbors tosses up a nuclear weapon into the upper atmosphere, they can make a heated bump in the atmosphere you know drag all of these assets that we put into lower earth orbit out of out of orbit. And so I was just wondering what is what do you think the military implications of all of that are likely to be and what is the right level of investment to understanding the exospheric density that we're actually going to be deploying things into?
▶ 1:40:10Thank you for the question. The Navy has a deep interest in that portion of the atmosphere. And we have both current and future projected applications of knowledge of that portion of the atmosphere. To discuss the details and the implications would need a different forum and we'd be happy to take that for the record and get back to you.
▶ 1:40:31Okay, and if this this requires going into a skiff, I'm happy to because I'm really worried that we're going to deploy hundreds of billions of dollars of both commercial and military assets in a place where it for very low cost the bad guys can take them all out. So, I guess that was the I guess the main thing. Any other thoughts on this whole thing of defending the lower earth orbit space not only from you know fluctuations from the size of the atmosphere but other
▶ 1:41:02I would have to defer that to the Space Force. We can forward the question for the record.
▶ 1:41:08Okay, yeah. I mean the obvious well-known things is you just put some big source of radiation of which 10 or so countries on earth have such a big thing and pop up and and make it uninhabitable for a lot of electronics in that area. And so we have to we have to have I don't know how we avoid having this discussion at least partly in public.
▶ 1:41:29And I've been very disappointed at the lack of public discussion of the cost and fragility of both commercial and and military assets that we're proposing to put into lower orbit. all right, I will be raising this issue more in in all settings that I can have access to and thank you very much. You're back.
▶ 1:41:52The gentleman yields back and I just appreciate the gentleman weighing in this morning to our subcommittee. I always appreciate having our resident scientist asking questions as part of these these hearings, but thank you. Seeing no others, I thank the witnesses for their valuable testimony and the members for their questions. The record will remain open for 10 days for additional comments and written questions from members and this hearing is adjourned.