As part of final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of FY 1998 (HR 1119), the House adopted report language that recommends hat the Secretary of Defense enlist the National Research Council to conduct a comprehensive study of Defense Department WSR-88D NEXRAD radars. The study will compare DOD radar availability and performance as compared with the National Weather Service (NWS) WSR-88D radars. It will include the feasibility and benefits of transferring all DOD NEXRAD's to the Department of Commerce. The Report also urged the Secretary of Defense to consult with the Administrator of NOAA on several suggested DOD NEXRAD operational changes that "will provide the same operational standards for DOD NEXRAD's as for NWS NEXRAD's."
On September 10, a meeting at Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) in Palo Alto, California, addressed the potential need for a flight software modification to accommodate inverted GOES-10 spacecraft operations. As a result of this meeting, engineers determined that a flight software patch will be required to provide accurate Image Motion Compensation. Numerical analysis is underway to determine onboard implementation which is transparent to users, minimizes ground system changes, and preserves Image Navigation Registration pointing requirements. SS/L has the action to provide the software patch design and technical recommendations for inverted spacecraft operations. A spacecraft and ground systems requirements review will occur in mid-October.
