Saving Money Instead Of Lives
Just in time for the hurricane season a major satellite is malfunctioning:
For the second time in less than a year, a key weather satellite is ailing, forcing a spare satellite into service, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The satellite malfunction comes shortly before the kickoff of the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which NOAA expects to be an active one.
And while the offline satellite will not impact weather forecasts now that the backup satellite is in place, it leaves weather forecasters without a fallback in the event that the backup satellite also experiences technical difficulties.
In addition, experts say, it calls attention to the erosion of America’s weather and climate observing infrastructure due to budget difficulties and poor management.
These satellites provide the data needed to determine where storms are, and where they are going with a hell of a lot more accuracy than we have ever had. Imagine what the aftermath of Sandy would have looked like if the coast hadn’t been warned in advance so they could evacuate.
Too many of our weather satellites are on borrowed time, having exceeded their design life, but their replacements haven’t been built, much less put into orbit.
‘Combat weatherman’ is a military specialty because the weather is a national security issue, as well as a public safety issue.
This is more of our crumbling infrastructure.
