Earth Observing System

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Earth Observing System (EOS) Data Information System (EOSDIS), focusing on EOSDIS estimated funding requirements. GAO found that: (1) EOS program costs will total $8.3 billion through fiscal year (FY) 2000; (2) the EOSDIS Core System contract is expected to cost $826 million through FY 2003; (3) about one-third of EOS costs will go to EOSDIS, which will operate EOS satellites and instruments, provide ground acquisition, processing, storage, management, and distribution of EOS data, and make the enormous quantity of data accessible to as many as 10,000 scientists and other users; and (4) NASA has developed an interim system to make current earth science data from disparate systems available to users.