QuikSCAT Follow-on Mission Concept Study (JPL Publication 08-18, April, 2008) To continue to meet the Nation's need for operational ocean surface vector winds (OSVW) observations beyond QuikSCAT, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tasked the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to design and provide costs for a set of QuikSCAT Follow-On mission options. Three scenarios were examined: 1) a QuikSCAT Replacement mission with capabilities equivalent to QuikSCAT, 2) a next-generation Extended Ocean Vector Winds Mission (XOVWM), as recommended in the National Research Council's decadal survey to provide significantly improved all-weather, all-wind, high spatial resolution measurements, and 3) an XOVWM Constellation consisting of two XOVWM observatories to provide improved temporal resolution. In parallel, NOAA asked its users to provide a quantitative assessment of each option's benefit to NOAA. This report presents the JPL design, risk assessment, and cost for each of the three options, together with a summary of the NOAA users' benefit assessment. QuikSCAT Follow-on Mission: User Impact Study Report (NOAA, February, 2008) Satellite ocean surface vector wind (OSVW) data has revolutionized operational marine weather warnings, analyses, and forecasting. To maintain the significant improvements in operational weather forecasting and warning capability that have been realized from QuikSCAT OSVW data requires continuity of the OSVW data stream at a level that is equivalent to or better than that provided today by QuikSCAT. This report documents the results of the user impact study conducted to evaluate the impacts of a QuikSCAT equivalent and an advanced next-generation OSVW (XOVWM) follow-on mission on the marine weather warning and forecasting functions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A significant result of this study is that the XOVWM mission would greatly enhance the detection and warning capability across a wide range of weather phenomena for nearly all of the National Weather Service's coastal, offshore, high seas, and Great Lakes marine areas of responsibility. An XOVWM capability would yield significant benefits over a QuikSCAT equivalent capability in the forecast and warning program with respect to extratropical cyclones, tropical cyclones, coastal regions, and the Great Lakes. (News Archive)