[SatNews] Established in 2011, The Hosted Payload Alliance (HPA) is a satellite industry alliance whose purpose is to increase awareness of the benefits of hosted government payloads on commercial satellites. The HPA seeks to bring together government and industry in an open dialogue to identify and promote the benefits of hosted payloads.

The HPA team is invited to testify before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment during a hearing scheduled for May 20, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.

The hearing will focus on “Advancing Commercial Weather Data: Collaborative Efforts to Improve Forecasts.” Nicole Robinson, HPA Chair, will present the testimony. She noted, "this is a great opportunity to get the message out and ensure the HPA is in the forefront."

Nicole Robinson, Corporate Vice President, Government Market Solutions, SES GS

This hearing is open to the public.The meeting is : Subcommittee on Environment Hearing - Advancing Commercial Weather Data: Collaborative Efforts to Improve Forecasts This website will have the webcast embedded .

Witnesses

Dr. Scott Pace, Director, Space Policy Institute, George Washington University
Mr. Scott Sternberg, President, Vaisala Inc.
Ms. Nicole Robinson, Chair, Hosted Payload Alliance
Dr. Bill Gail, Chief Technology Officer, Global Weather Corporation
Dr. Thomas Bogdan, President, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

The HPA:

• Serves as a bridge between government and private industry to foster open communication between potential users and providers of hosted payload capabilities 
• Builds awareness of the benefits to be realized from hosted payloads on commercial satellites
• Provides a forum for discussions, ranging from policy to specific missions, related to acquisition and operation of hosted payloads
• Acts as a source of subject-matter expertise to educate stakeholders in industry and government.