[Satellite TODAY 03-25-13] PlanetIQ has urged Congress to exercise its oversight of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and address the systemic failures, reported by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), that have led to a looming gap in satellite weather and climate data.

    PlanetIQ’s President and Chief Executive Officer Anne Hale Miglarese testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, requesting the adoption of a private sector approach for NOAA. PlanetIQ’s proposal includes launching a constellation of 12 small satellites in low-Earth orbit to collect weather data. This data would be available for the federal government at less cost and risk than current government-funded efforts, according to the company.

    During her testimony, Miglarese used the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) as an example. This agency adopted a similar data purchase model a decade ago, she explained, when the intelligence community faced a serious risk of "flying blind" due to cost overruns and schedule delays in the government’s next generation of imagery intelligence satellites.

    Using a similar model, NOAA could "spark a new American industry of commercial sources for weather and environmental data, and at the same time ensure the accuracy and advanced warning we have come to depend on for protecting lives, properties, economies and critical infrastructure," Miglarese said. "Private capital is ready and waiting," she continued. "But the government’s culture of build-and-own-your-own satellites and the inability to commit is what’s holding back these job-creating funds."