Agencies Establish New Civil-Military Satellite Program

• To: press-release-com@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: Agencies Establish New Civil-Military Satellite Program
• From: NASANews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (NASA HQ Public Affairs Office)
• Date: Thu, 1 Jun 1995 16:28:05 -0400

FYI--
(received from Bill Highlands, Alden)
Linda Miller                            
External Programs Coordinator           Telephone: (303) 497-8646
UCAR/Unidata Program Center             Fax: (303) 497-8690             
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Douglas Isbell
Headquarters, Washington, DC                June 1, 1995 
(Phone:  202/358-1753)
     
Patricia Viets
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Suitland, 
MD
(Phone:  301/457-5005)                          
     
Lt. Col. Dave Simms
Department of Defense, Washington, DC 
(Phone:  703/697-5131)
     
RELEASE:  95-82
     
AGENCIES ESTABLISH NEW CIVIL-MILITARY SATELLITE PROGRAM
     
     The Clinton Administration has taken a major step 
toward combining the country's military and civilian weather 
satellite programs into a single system -- a move that is 
expected to save American taxpayers up to $300 million 
through 1999, with additional savings through the life of 
the program.
     
      Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown, Secretary of 
Defense William J. Perry, and NASA Administrator Daniel S. 
Goldin signed a formal agreement on May 26, establishing the 
agencies' roles and responsibilities in support of the new 
system and implementing a Presidential Decision Directive 
that was signed last year. 
     
     "Combining these programs was a key recommendation of 
Vice President Gore's National Performance Review," said 
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, D. 
James Baker.  "The new program will result in a major 
reduction of acquisition, operational and facilities costs." 
     
     Currently four U.S. polar-orbiting satellites are used 
to collect operational, meteorological, oceanographic, 
climatic and space environment data.  Two satellites are 
provided and operated by the Department of Commerce's 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and 
two by the Department of Defense's Defense Meteorological 
Satellite Program.  The new combined program will consist of 
three satellites.  The first satellite under the new system, 
called the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental 
Satellite System (NPOESS), is expected to be launched in 2006.
     
     To acquire and operate the NPOESS, the Department of 
Defense, NASA and NOAA have established an Integrated 
Program Office.  James T. Mannen, a retired Air Force 
Colonel with extensive experience in space programs, was 
named director of the office on May 30.
     
     The signing of the agreement by the three agencies 
represents a tangible and significant step forward in 
interagency cooperation -- merging operational military and 
civilian systems, while still satisfying each agency's 
critical mission requirements and doing so at reduced cost 
to American taxpayers.
     
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