Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction, and deputy administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), emphasized the vital role played by NOAA satellite programs in providing timely weather data that can save lives during severe weather. "Our polar and geostationary satellites are the backbone of the nation's weather enterprise," said Sullivan, discussing the next generation of NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES).