Introduced into the U.S. House Of Representatives on September 25th was H.R. 3654 by Congressmen Ron Klein (D-FL) and Congressman Charlie Melancon (D-LA), entitled the Hurricane Satellite Modernization Act. The bill would authorize NASA and NOAA to procure, launch, and operate the nexgen of weather forecasting satellites. The bill would authorize an appropriation of $3 billion for fiscal years 2010 through 2027 to have manufactured and then launch XOVMM (Extended Ocean Vector Winds Mission) sats to replace the current QuikSCAT satellite. Other than a general consensus that a QuikSCAT replacement would be welcome, such is not an acute need and the authorized number of years (until 2027) certainly does not seem to present a critical need for such an expenditure. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology. (Source: Library of Congress)