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Loss of key US satellite data could send hurricane forecasting back 'decades'

(www.theguardian.com)
312 points trauco | 4 comments | 29 Jun 25 17:39 UTC | HN request time: 1.291s | source
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schiffern ◴[29 Jun 25 18:52 UTC] No.44415391[source]▶

  >The loss of DMSP comes as Noaa’s weather and climate monitoring services have become critically understaffed this year as Donald Trump’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) initiative has instilled draconian cuts to federal environmental programs.
Translation:

"We can't actually say this was DOGE, so we're going to imply it using emotionally charged words, and 90% of folks with bad media literacy will come away thinking it was DOGE (just check the reddit comments)."

This in-vogue method of "lying without lying" is shockingly common nowadays, but apparently it's okay for media to lie because Bad Man Bad.

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chomp ◴[29 Jun 25 18:57 UTC] No.44415414[source]▶
I don’t understand what you’re complaining about here. Lying?
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schiffern ◴[29 Jun 25 19:01 UTC] No.44415444[source]▶
Yes, when the media lies it's bad. People used to understand that fact.

Now media gets a free pass on certain lies because Bad Man Bad, and (evidently) people aren't even allowed to point out the lie.

Hint: when the media can make up whatever they want about someone, they can quickly twist perception to make anyone into the Bad Man.

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1. mlyle ◴[29 Jun 25 19:05 UTC] No.44415469[source]▶
Did DOGE not ditch hundreds of probationary employees at NOAA, cancel numerous contracts, get 1000 people to take early retirement offers, get rid of buildings, etc?

And now the current funding request enacts a ~30% funding cut.

I'm not sure the factual issue you're seeing. Is it that the statement wasn't definitive enough in saying that DOGE apparently was a large part of instituting these cuts?

(Yes, I know OPM implemented many of these programs, but they're apparently at DOGE's request, named after the "Fork in the Road" initiative at Twitter, using data gathered by DOGE IT staffers, &c. If we give credit for any cuts, we have to give them credit for significant cuts at NOAA.)

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2. msgodel ◴[29 Jun 25 19:24 UTC] No.44415603[source]▶
My understanding is this was set up to happen roughly a decade ago and is just now manifesting. It has pretty much nothing to do with DOGE.
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3. counters ◴[29 Jun 25 20:00 UTC] No.44415923[source]▶
We don't if, or to what extent, DOGE was involved or influential in the decision-making here.

Yes, the DMSP program was aging and slated to wind down as replacements - both federal and commercial - came online in the second half of the 2020's. But in general, if valid and useful data continues to stream from these types of satellites, you use it and monitor for disruption.

As someone who uses the DMSP data every single day, let me be very clear: there was no warning or expectation that such an abrupt change was going to happen. Yes, we all have contingency plans for if a satellite fails or a data link goes down. But to be given basically 5 days notice that a significant, mission-critical asset would be taken offline? That doesn't - and shouldn't - happen.

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4. freejazz ◴[30 Jun 25 02:25 UTC] No.44418623[source]▶
The sentence that is quoted is about how both of these things are simultaneously happening right now, even if one was precipitated earlier