Progress/Status on the GOES-R Socioeconomic Benefits Study

Environmental satellite programs represent one of the largest investments of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) budget, and validation that ensures the American Public is getting justifiable returns on their investment, is important. Under a study commissioned by the GOES-R Program, The Aerospace Corporation has been conducting a socioeconomic assessment of the GOES-R program. This study will provide quantifiable and unquantifiable values of selected GOES-R derived user products in terms of economic impacts to selected sectors of the U.S. economy. The study goal is to demonstrate that the value of a small number of products and cost avoidances (or savings) by selected sectors will more than validate the GOES-R program investment by taxpayers.

This presentation will show the methodology used to prioritize the selected GOES-R-derived products as they relate to NOAA Mission Goals and user products, and the approach in determining the GOES-R socioeconomic benefits. Furthermore, it will provide the results of the initial Pathfinder products phase and the status of the second phase (TBD) to evaluate Public Benefit of the two pilot products and derive economic value based on relevant information in existing studies & economist(s) judgement(s).