The Committee for Operational Environmental Satellites (COES): An Effective Avenue for Improved Federal Agency Coordination of Environmental Satellite Issues.

In 2014, the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology (OFCM) responded to the Federal Weather Enterprise request to reactivate the Committee for Operational Environmental Satellites (COES) to pursue interagency coordination for sustained environmental satellite systems to support federal meteorological and oceanographic operational services. The COES addresses matters concerning long-term and sustained satellite space or ground systems used by or planned for use by the federal meteorological and oceanographic service providers.

The COES objectives are to:

1. Ensure interagency review and coordination of approved requirements for operational environmental satellite programs.
2. Promote an open dialog concerning environmental satellite systems development, satellite data systems architecture, continuity plans, data exploitation readiness plans.
3. Consider potential use of research satellite capabilities to augment operational systems in meeting user needs, and plans to transition research data into operational products and new applications.
4. Facilitate working-level relationships between Federal members and other stakeholders to effectively resolve interagency issues with regard to the availability of environmental satellite data and products from future systems.
5. Establish dialog with other standing groups currently engaged in various aspects of environmental satellite and data readiness and exploitation.
6. Coordinate with the Committee for Operational Processing Centers on issues of mutual interest
7. Provide regular updates to the Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (ICMSSR) and other elements of the Federal Coordination Infrastructure.

This presentation will provide an overview of the COES, committee members, goals and objectives, and future plans, including support for the evolving needs of the Federal Weather Enterprise environmental satellite developers and user communities through active interagency coordination efforts.