<h2><font><span style="font-weight:normal">Rear Adm. David Titley,
Deputy Under Secretary for Operations, NOAA, Washington, DC will be the
featured speaker at the Town Hall Event as part of the Special Symposium on the Joint Center for Satellite Data
Assimilation. Northrop Grumman and Space Systems/Loral will sponsor the box lunch program.</span></font></h2><h2>Town Hall Meeting: The Role of Satellite Data in Environmental
Prediction and the Challenges for the Satellite Programs in Today's
Fiscal Climate</h2>
<strong>Tuesday, 8 January 2013, 12:15–1:00 p.m.; Ballroom A</strong>
<p>Environmental
prediction systems such as numerical weather prediction increasingly
depend on satellite data for forecast skill. Recently the satellite
programs have come under increased scrutiny due to their relatively high
cost combined with the general budget pressure facing the federal
agencies. The purpose of this town hall meeting is to highlight the need
for agencies such as NOAA to continue to optimize their observing
systems – both conventional and space-based – thereby maximizing the
benefit to the users while minimizing the cost, and to discuss how
quantitative assessment methods applied by organizations like the Joint
Center for Satellite Data Assimilation can help with this process by
vetting requirements and documenting the impact. Rear Adm. David Titley,
Deputy Under Secretary for Operations, NOAA, Washington, DC will be the
speaker. Northrop Grumman and Space Systems/Loral have sponsored a
limited number of box lunches.</p>
<p>For additional information, please contact Lars Peter Riishojgaard (<a href="mailto:Lars.P.Riishojgaard@nasa.gov">Lars.P.Riishojgaard@nasa.gov</a>)</p>