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Sep 22, 2008 3:08 pm US/Eastern
Congress Asked To Pay For Hurricane Satellites
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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This is what Hurricane Ike looked like from space. Satellites track storms like these and give forecasters valuable information.
NASA
An aging hurricane tracking satellite system that generated so much controversy it led to the replacement of the nation's chief hurricane forecaster could be replaced if congress passes a bill proposed Monday by Representatives from storm-slammed Florida and Louisiana.
The bill, proposed by South Florida US Rep Ron Klein, along with Rep. Charlie Melancon of Louisiana, would fund the replacement of the QuikSCAT hurricane tracking system, used by forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in west Miami-Dade of increase the accuracy of hurricane forecasts.
The system was built in the last decade and was expected to work for just 3 years, but has been in service for almost 10. Concerned that it would fail, leaving forecasters without an important tool, former National Hurricane Center Bill Proenza campaigned for replacement.
Proenza said if it were to fail, forecast tracks could be thrown off by as much as 16 percent. He criticized his bosses for not supporting a replacement system.
His vocal demands for funding put him at odds with his bosses at NOAA, sparking a controversy at the Hurricane Center when other forecasters downplayed the importance of the system. "QuikSCAT is another tool that we use to forecast," forecaster Lixion Avila said at the time. "The forecast will not be degraded if we don't have the QuikSCAT."
The squabble led to internal tension at the Hurricane Center and a petition for Proenza's removal. NOAA officials stepped in and re-assigned Proenza. The QuikSCAT controversy died out, but never completely disappeared.
Now, this new proposal asks Congress to step in and fund a replacement system with one recommended by NASA. Called the Hurricane Satellite Modernization Act, the bill authorizes full funding for the complete next-generation system, which includes two satellites to cover 90 percent of the ocean surface every 12 hours.
"The breakdown of the current QuikSCAT satellite is not a matter of if but when," Klein said in a written statement. "It is critical that we act now to replace this outdated tool with the most up-to-date, modern technology available."
"The updated satellites will lead to more accurate forecasts, which will have a real impact on South Florida's families."
There was no immediate information about the total cost of the projects, or if the bill is approved, how long it would take to build and deploy the satellites.
A bill co-sponsored by Klein in 2007 to authorize the construction of a new QuikSCAT satellite has languished in the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics.
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