OTA Completes Series of Reports on Remote Sensing
The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) has just completed a several-year analysis of the US’s civilian remote sensing and Earth observing systems. This examination, requested by the House and Senate committees with responsibility for these programs, has produced three reports. The final report, “Civilian Satellite Remote Sensing: A Strategic Approach,” (OTA-ISS-607) was released on October 28. (The other reports in the series are “The Future of Remote Sensing from Space: Civilian Satellite Systems and Applications,” OTA-ISC-558, July 1993; and “Remotely Sensed Data: Technology, Management, and Markets,” OTA-ISS-604, September 1994.)
Noting that “over the next two decades, Earth observations from space promise to become increasingly important for predicting the weather, studying global change, and managing global resources,” the latest report lays out the case for developing a long-term strategic plan for the U.S. programs. At least five major remote sensing systems for unclassified Earth data are currently operated or being contemplated by the U.S. government, and the existing systems are operated by three different agencies: NASA, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and DOD. OTA finds that the current programs “are characterized by having overlapping requirements and redundant instruments and spacecraft.”
“To improve the nation’s return on its investment in remote sensing technologies [now about $1.5 billion per year], to meet the needs of data users more effectively, and to take full advantage of other nations’ capabilities,” the report says, “Congress may wish to initiate a long-term, comprehensive plan for Earth observation.”
OTA recommends that any strategic plan do the following: incorporate the needs of both government and nongovernment data users; improve efficiency and reduce costs; involve private remote sensing system operators; incorporate international programs; and guide the development of new technologies. The report also urges better coordination and collaboration between agencies. It specifically commends the Clinton Administration’s plan to consolidate the polar-orbiting systems operated by NOAA and DOD as “one important component of a broader strategic plan.”
“However,” the report cautions, “developing such a plan carries certain risks.... [It] could result in a cumbersome management structure...[and] undermine existing operational programs.” OTA warns that merging individual programs into a larger, comprehensive program might inhibit adaptations and increase the program’s susceptibility to budget cuts, since there is no certainty that “the program will be considered as a whole when the federal budget reaches Congress. Each committee has its own priorities and may either enhance or cut the budget of a given program, independent of the funding balance agreed upon by the Clinton Administration. In other words, the very structure of the U.S. government may make the development and execution of a strategic plan difficult.”
The reports can be ordered from the Government Printing Office at (202)512-1800.
