Satellites are critical to weather forecasting, including hurricane tracking, and maintaining a robust fleet should be a high priority for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
But the number of U.S. satellites is declining, and plans to replace them are moving slowly, according to the National Academies, the country's top science advisers.
For example, Quik-SCAT, which measures the speed and direction of ocean winds, malfunctioned three years ago, but efforts to replace it have stalled, according to a study by the National Academies. That's forced NOAA to rely on data from a satellite operated by India's space agency.
COSMIC, a network of six satellites that helps gauge the intensification and movement of hurricanes, will reach the end of its design life this year, and the National Academies have flagged plans to replace them as a priority. But that project won't be launched until 2015, and so far NOAA hasn't committed any funds to it, the study said.
Keeping watch over the weather, especially destructive hurricanes, is vital. NASA and NOAA need to show a sense of urgency in making sure that capability is preserved.