Environmental prediction systems such as numerical weather prediction increasingly depend on satellite data for forecast skill. Recently the satellite programs have come under increased scrutiny due to their relatively high cost combined with the general budget pressure facing the federal agencies. The purpose of this town hall meeting is to highlight the need for agencies such as NOAA to continue to optimize their observing systems – both conventional and space-based – thereby maximizing the benefit to the users while minimizing the cost, and to discuss how quantitative assessment methods applied by organizations like the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation can help with this process by vetting requirements and documenting the impact. For additional information, please contact Lars Peter Riishojgaard (Lars.P.Riishojgaard@nasa.gov)