Global weather satellites

Environmental Satellites

NWA Remote Sensing Committee

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A network of geostationary and polar satellites provides global coverage of environmental conditions, and continuous updates of climatological variables such as cloud cover, vegetation, and sea surface temperature. In the United States, these satellites are operated by the National Environmental Satellite Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). There are also a number of experimental scientific satellites operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in cooperation with other U.S. agencies, or foreign governments, such as the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM)). The U.S. Department of Defense also operates polar-orbiting spacecraft, known as the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) to satisfy their mission requirements. The merger of NOAA's legacy POES, with NASA and DMSP polar satellite programs into the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is well underway. Resources that provide information on these various systems are listed below:

Latest Launch Schedule (from Spaceflight Now)

NWA Letters of Support: GOES-R Lightning Mapper (March 2004); GOES Microwave Imager (March 2006)
Advanced GEO Sounder (Oct 2007); QuickSCAT (Jan 2008)


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The National Weather Association (NWA) provides this information for the benefit of members and guests. Reference in this Web site to any specific information, commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by the NWA. The NWA is not responsible for the contents of any "off-site" Web page referenced from this Web site. To provide feedback to the NWA staff and volunteers who maintain this page or to ask for further information on this topic, please contact the NWA Remote Sensing Committee
Last modified - 27 March 2017