Dems: NPOESS Fleecing Must End

The government's development of a new polar-orbiting satellite system (, to replace NOAA's POES and DOD's DMSP) is embroiled in controversy this week. Some democrats are calling for heads to roll.

An article available on the SpaceRef site says that the NPOESS program is $7 billion over budget and 3 years behind. Worse, the audit report (available here with some areas blacked out) states that $123 million in awards (84% of what was available) have been given to the prime contractor, even though performance was clearly substandard in 2002, when the first award period began.

Sadly, the report also notes that, even when the project was started, it was estimated to have a 50% chance of success.