Sens. Lucas, Cruz advocate for GAO review of GeoXO program

U.S. Sens. Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) recently forwarded correspondence to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting the agency review the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program.

Lucas, chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and Cruz, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, signed off on the letter to Government Accountability Office Comptroller General of the United States Gene L. Dodaro.

The legislators are concerned the GeoXO program could encounter the same problems as its predecessor, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – R Series (GOES-R). They noted that the GAO has reported on issues NOAA has had developing and operating GOES-R, including problems in managing cost, schedule and risks.

GeoXO is NOAA’s largest procurement ever with a projected lifecycle cost of $19.6 billion and a planned development period that will span over a decade.

“The delays and budget overruns in the GOES-R program make it all the more important to ensure that GeoXO is well-managed, as any problems will be magnified by the greater complexity and cost of GeoXO,” the legislators wrote. “Given the cost, complexity, and scope of the GeoXO program; its similarities to the GOES-R initiative; and uncertainty around the newly implemented acquisition processes at NOAA, our committees have concerns about—and are asking GAO to review—the GeoXO program’s ability to meet its cost, schedule, and performance requirements.”

The lawmakers have requested the GAO, among other actions, assess the extent to which NOAA has followed best practices and statutory guidance to establish cost estimates for the GeoXO program; evaluate the design and development of the GeoXO program; and assess the extent to which NOAA has implemented strategies to effectively manage program schedules and ensure that milestones are met.