Federal Reports

For our audit of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Polar Weather Satellite program, our objective was to assess the program's execution of selected development activities. To satisfy our objective, we reviewed aspects of the program's environmental testing and pre-launch readiness efforts for JPSS-2, the second satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite Series. Generally, the program was successful in the testing and readiness efforts we reviewed for JPSS-2. However, we found the program should should I. take additional steps to ensure instruments on the next JPSS satellites, JPSS-3 and JPSS-4, are protected from contamination and tested as they will fly; II. improve its lessons-learned process so it and other programs can learn from its experiences; and III. improve its requirements verification process before JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 verification.efforts begin.

NASA established this program nearly 30 years ago to spur new science and solutions for meeting the challenges of climate change. While the program provides opportunities to advance Earth science research, a sharper focus on solutions that benefit society would serve an even greater good.