A Herculean task? Economics, politics, and realigning government in the case of US polar-orbiting weather satellites

In 1994 one of the most radical institutional restructurings in the USA's government provision of critical weather information took place after eight previously unsuccessful attempts. The President merged weather data collection by satellites operated by the Department of Defense and satellites operated by the Department of Commerce. Reorganization involving agencies with different objectives, economic constraints, and operating cultures is rare. This paper reviews the decision leading to “convergence,” discusses economic arguments, and addresses the problems confronting the new organization. The paper also discusses the implications of the new organization for incentives to engage in space R&D and the increasingly large role played by these satellites in collecting not only weather but also climate-related data.