The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is requesting less funding in its fiscal year 2016 budget request for two major satellite programs than what was enacted in FY ’15.
NOAA is requesting nearly $878 million in FY ’16 for its Geostationary Systems-R (GOES-R) satellite series, down $109 million from what was enacted in FY ’15. NOAA is also wants $809 million for Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), $107 million less than what was enacted last fiscal year.
NOAA requested nearly $6 billion for FY ’16 overall, according to its budget request highlight book, nearly 9.8 percent more than the $5.4 billion enacted for FY ’15.
NOAA’s request also includes $380 million for a new start program called Polar Follow-On (PFO), which NOAA calls critical to continuing the administration’s polar weather satellite observations after JPSS-2. NOAA expects to request $2.2 billion for Polar Follow-On through FY ’20 and expects PFO to “achieve robustness” in the polar weather constellation as early as FY ’23. PFO consists of two primary missions, according to NOAA: JPSS-3 and JPSS-4.
NOAA said Feb. 18 that the cross-track infrared sounder, one of five instruments that will fly on JPSS-1, has completed its pre-shipment review. The sounder will provide accurate, detailed atmosphere, temperature and moisture observations essential for weather forecasting. NOAA said in November it was delaying until mid-FY ’21 the launch of the second JPSS satellite, JPSS-2 (Defense Daily, Nov. 12).