SAN FRANCISCO — During congressional hearings March 6 and March 7, U.S. lawmakers expressed concern that the growing cost of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite programs was forcing the agency to shortchange other worthwhile initiatives including weather monitoring, fisheries management, tsunami warning and ocean research.

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Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco. Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is a recipient...