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58-905: DWSS was a follow-on for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) mission. The DWSS, together with the still continuing Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) project, was to replace the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) project which itself was cancelled in January 2010. This meteorology –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Defense Meteorological Satellite Program The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program ( DMSP ) monitors meteorological , oceanographic, and solar-terrestrial physics for

116-609: A Sun-synchronous orbit ; passing over the north and south poles, the satellite would see different strips of the Earth at the same local time each day. The DMSP satellites had periods of roughly 101.0 minutes, so they would orbit the Earth 14.3 times in 24 hours. This period combined with the Sun-synchronous orbit would have the satellite pass over the whole surface of the planet twice a day. The images acquired were relayed to

174-574: A collision probability as high as 44%. DMSP F15 and Meteor 1-26 were considered to be the prime candidates for the encounter. The operations center, which announced the possible collision, didn't identify the satellites involved but third party observers determined the most likely candidates. The two did not collide. The NOAA-16 and NOAA-17 weather satellites were based on the same technology as DMSP satellites. NOAA-17 disintegrated in orbit on 10 March 2021. NOAA-16 broke up in November 2015. DMSP

232-417: A daily basis. They issue more than 734,000 weather and 850,000 river forecasts, and more than 45,000 severe weather warnings annually. NOAA data is also relevant to the issues of climate change and ozone depletion . The NWS operates NEXRAD , a nationwide network of Doppler weather radars which can detect precipitation and their velocities. Many of their products are broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio ,

290-502: A national drought early warning information system. The NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps is a uniformed service of men and women who operate NOAA ships and aircraft , and serve in scientific and administrative posts. Since 2001, the organization has hosted the senior staff and recent chair, Susan Solomon , of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 's working group on climate science. Hurricane Dorian

348-517: A network of radio transmitters that broadcasts weather forecasts, severe weather statements, watches and warnings 24 hours a day. The National Ocean Service (NOS) focuses on ensuring that ocean and coastal areas are safe, healthy, and productive. NOS scientists, natural resource managers, and specialists serve America by ensuring safe and efficient marine transportation, promoting innovative solutions to protect coastal communities, and conserving marine and coastal places. The National Ocean Service

406-553: A new agency to serve a national need for "better protection of life and property from natural hazards... for a better understanding of the total environment... [and] for exploration and development leading to the intelligent use of our marine resources". NOAA is a part of the Department of Commerce rather than the Department of Interior , because of a feud between President Nixon and his interior secretary, Wally Hickel , over

464-646: A research grants program through the Climate Program Office, and 13 cooperative institutes with academia. Through NOAA and its academic partners, thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians, and graduate students participate in furthering our knowledge of natural phenomena that affect the lives of us all. The Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) is one of the laboratories in the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. It studies processes and develops models relating to climate and air quality, including

522-480: A time in case it needed to be called up for launch in the coming years, and in the aftermath of the failure of DMSP 5D-3/F19, the USAF was reconsidering the future of DMSP-5D3 F-20. However, in late 2016, the USAF began scrapping DMSP-5D3 F-20. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA / ˈ n oʊ . ə / NOH -ə )

580-548: Is a modification of the flag of one of its predecessor organizations, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey . The Coast and Geodetic Survey's flag, authorized in 1899 and in use until 1970, was blue, with a white circle centered in it and a red triangle centered within the circle. It symbolized the use of triangulation in surveying , and was flown by ships of the Survey. When NOAA was established in 1970 and

638-682: Is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather , monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas , conducting deep-sea exploration , and managing fishing and protection of marine mammals and endangered species in the US exclusive economic zone . The agency is part of the United States Department of Commerce and is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland . NOAA traces its history back to multiple agencies, some of which are among

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696-610: Is composed of eight program offices: the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, the Office for Coastal Management, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the Office of Coast Survey , the Office of National Geodetic Survey , the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries , the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, and the Office of Response and Restoration . There are two NOS programs,

754-716: Is home to over 40 NOAA sub-agencies and offices, including the National Weather Service . Richard (Rick) W. Spinrad is the 11th and current Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator. He was nominated by President Biden, and his nomination was confirmed by the US Senate on June 17, 2021, by voice vote. He was sworn in on June 23, 2021. From February 25, 2019, to January 20, 2021, Neil Jacobs , Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, served as acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere at

812-598: Is led by a NOAA Corps two-star Rear Admiral , who also commands the NOAA Corps. The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is a major surveying organization in the United States. The National Integrated Drought Information System is a program within NOAA with an interagency mandate to coordinate and integrate drought research, building upon existing federal, tribal, state, and local partnerships in support of creating

870-558: Is monitoring the expanding debris field, and "will issue conjunction warnings if necessary". The cause of the explosion was the rupturing of an onboard battery due to a design flaw (no collision with another object took place). On 11 February 2016, a power failure left both the command-and-control subsystem and its backup without the ability to reach the satellite's processor, according to the U.S. Air Force Space Command investigation released in July 2016 that also announced that DMSP 5D-3/F19

928-547: Is part of NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, located in Miami , Florida . AOML's research spans hurricanes, coastal ecosystems, oceans, and human health, climate studies, global carbon systems, and ocean observations. AOML's organizational structure consists of an Office of the Director and three scientific research divisions, Physical Oceanography, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems, and Hurricane Research. The Office of

986-527: Is the annual update charts of the ongoing impact of changing conditions on the environment and community by NOAA. In 2019, it was compiled by 81 scientists from 12 nations. The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations is responsible for the fleet of NOAA ships, aircraft, and diving operations. It is the largest research fleet in the Federal government. Its personnel is made up of federal civil service employees and NOAA Corps Commissioned Officers . The office

1044-651: The Birmingham, Alabama office of the National Weather Service issued a tweet that appeared to contradict Trump, saying that Alabama "will NOT see any impacts from Dorian". On September 6, NOAA published a statement from an unidentified spokesperson supporting Trump's September 1 claim. The statement also labelled the Birmingham, Alabama branch of the National Weather Service's contradiction of Trump as incorrect. The New York Times reported that

1102-663: The Data Acquisition and Processing Program , and the DAPP acronym is sometimes used for these satellites. Eight satellites were launched using Atlas E launch vehicles between 1982 and 1995. Three were launched aboard Titan II vehicles between 1997 and 2003. One has been launched on a Delta IV rocket. The most recent launch of a DMSP satellite, DMSP-F19, occurred on 3 April 2014, from Vandenberg aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle. The DSAP-1 (Defense Satellite Application Program Block 1) satellites series, also known as P-35,

1160-670: The Landsat satellite system. Since May 1998, NESDIS has operated the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites on behalf of the Air Force Weather Agency . New generations of satellites are developed to succeed the current polar orbiting and geosynchronous satellites, the Joint Polar Satellite System , and GOES-R , which launched in November 2016. NESDIS runs the Office of Projects, Planning, and Analysis (OPPA) formerly

1218-877: The Mussel Watch Contaminant Monitoring Program and the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). There are two staff offices, the International Program Office and the Management and Budget Office. The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) was created by NOAA to operate and manage the US environmental satellite programs, and manage NWS data and those of other government agencies and departments. NESDIS's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) archives data collected by

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1276-571: The NOAA Commissioned Corps . Project 2025 has proposed to get rid of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research , which would "dismantle" NOAA's research division. Since 1993, NOAA's administrative headquarters has been located at the Silver Spring Metro Center office complex in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland . The consolidated 1.2 million SF, four-building campus was constructed in 1993 and

1334-727: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement in Silver Spring, Maryland , which is the primary site of marine resource law enforcement. NOAA's research, conducted through the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), is the driving force behind NOAA environmental products and services that protect life and property and promote economic growth. Research, conducted in OAR laboratories and by extramural programs, focuses on enhancing our understanding of environmental phenomena such as tornadoes, hurricanes, climate variability, solar flares, changes in

1392-608: The National Weather Service (NWS), the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO). NOAA has more than a dozen staff offices, including the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology, the NOAA Central Library , the Office of Program Planning and Integration (PPI). The National Weather Service (NWS) is tasked with providing "weather, hydrologic and climate forecasts and warnings for

1450-552: The United States Department of Defense . The program is managed by the United States Space Force with on-orbit operations provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The (originally classified) mission of the satellites was revealed in March 1973. They provide cloud cover imagery from polar orbits that are Sun-synchronous at nominal altitude of 830 km (520 mi). During

1508-493: The 1960s, one of the most important projects that the United States civil space program was involved in dealt with meteorology and weather forecasting. Unbeknownst to many, the U.S. military services were also starting up a weather satellite program. This program, the DMSP, would relay important weather and climate data to the military for more effective operations. From the onset of the DMSP program, knowledge of its existence

1566-409: The Birmingham, Alabama National Weather Service's contradiction of Trump. The second order came on September 4 after Trump displayed an August 29 map that was altered with a black marker to show that Hurricane Dorian may hit Alabama. On September 9, speaking at an Alabama National Weather Service (NWS) meeting the Director of the National Weather Service gave a speech supporting Birmingham NWS and said

1624-472: The Coast and Geodetic Survey's assets became a part of NOAA, NOAA based its own flag on that of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. The NOAA flag is, in essence, the Coast and Geodetic Survey flag, with the NOAA logo—a circle divided by the silhouette of a seabird into an upper dark blue and a lower light blue section, but with the "NOAA" legend omitted—centered within the red triangle. NOAA ships in commission display

1682-410: The DMSP program has proven itself to be a valuable tool in scheduling and protecting military operations on land, at sea, and in the air. In December 1972, DMSP data was declassified and made available to the civil scientific community. On 1 June 1998, the control and maintenance of the satellites were transferred to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in order to reduce costs. DMSP

1740-680: The Director oversees the Laboratory's scientific programs, as well as its financial, administrative, computer, outreach/education, and facility management services. Research programs are augmented by the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), a joint enterprise with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. CIMAS enables AOML and university scientists to collaborate on research areas of mutual interest and facilitates

1798-522: The Earth and received by two command and readout stations established at retired Nike missile sites located near Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington State and Loring Air Force Base in Maine . From these sites, the images were then sent to Air Force Global Weather Central (AFGWC) located at Offutt Air Force Base , Nebraska . Images would then be processed, forming a mosaic representing

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1856-579: The NOAA September 6 statement was prompted by a threat from U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to fire high-level NOAA staff unless they supported Trump's claim. The Department of Commerce described this report as "false". Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that NOAA had twice ordered National Weather Service employees not to provide "any opinion" on Hurricane Dorian and to "only stick with official National Hurricane Center forecasts". The first order came after Trump's September 1 comments and

1914-821: The NOAA, U.S. Navy , U.S. Air Force , the Federal Aviation Administration , and meteorological services around the world. It comprises the Center for Weather and Climate, previously NOAA's National Climatic Data Center , the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), and the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)). In 1960, TIROS-1 , NASA's first owned and operated geostationary satellite,

1972-705: The Nixon Administration's Vietnam War policy. Nixon did not like Hickel's letter urging Nixon to listen to the Vietnam War demonstrators, and punished Hickel by not putting NOAA in the Interior Department. In 2007, NOAA celebrated 200 years of service in its role as successor to the U.S. Survey of the Coast . NOAA was officially formed in 1970. In 2021, NOAA had 11,833 civilian employees. Its research and operations are further supported by 321 uniformed service members, who make up

2030-772: The Office of Systems Development, the Office of Satellite Ground Systems (formerly the Office of Satellite Operations) the Office of Satellite and Project Operations, the Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)], the Joint Polar Satellite System Program Office the GOES-R Program Office, the International & Interagency Affairs Office, the Office of Space Commerce and the Office of System Architecture and Advanced Planning. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), also known as NOAA Fisheries,

2088-712: The Republican conference that my friends don't want to fund programs that are not properly authorized," said Lucas. "NOAA is very important, so we need to get it authorized." NOAA works toward its mission through six major line offices: the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the National Ocean Service (NOS),

2146-708: The US Department of Commerce and as NOAA's interim administrator. Jacobs succeeded Timothy Gallaudet , who succeeded Benjamin Friedman. The three served in series as NOAA's interim administrator throughout the first Trump Administration . In October 2017, Barry Lee Myers , CEO of AccuWeather , was proposed to be the agency's administrator by the Trump Administration. After two years in the nomination process, on November 21, 2019, Myers withdrew his name from consideration due to health concerns. NOAA

2204-434: The United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy", according to NOAA. This is done through a collection of national and regional centers, 13 river forecast centers (RFCs), and more than 120 local weather forecast offices (WFOs). They are charged with issuing weather and river forecasts , advisories, watches, and warnings on

2262-513: The already constructed F20 probe to save money by not having to pay its storage costs. It is unlikely that a new DMSP satellite would be launched before 2023; by then the three remaining satellites should no longer be operational. In October 2016, the 12th DMSP satellite - DMSP-F12 launched in 1994 - exploded in orbit. The satellite had similar battery as the one that exploded in the DMSP-13 satellite, thus raising suspicions that DMSP-12 explosion

2320-510: The cloud patterns that were observed from the orbiting satellites. Meteorologists could then provide flight crews and other commanders with up-to-date observations for their particular missions. Further advancements enabled data to be collected in the visual spectrum, down to a half-moonlit scene. Infrared processing enabled night viewing. Other enhancements increased on-board processing; this includes multiple on-board computers and expanded power requirements. Now in its fifth decade of service,

2378-737: The earliest in the federal government: The most direct predecessor of NOAA was the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA), into which several existing scientific agencies such as the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey , the Weather Bureau and the uniformed Corps were absorbed in 1965. NOAA was established within the Department of Commerce via the Reorganization Plan No. 4, and formed on October 3, 1970, after U.S. President Richard Nixon proposed creating

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2436-528: The fragmentation was due to either a battery explosion or to residual fuel in the attitude control system. Later, propulsion was identified as the "assessed cause" of DMSP-11 explosion. On 3 February 2015, the 13th DMSP satellite — DMSP-F13 launched in 1995 — exploded while in a Sun-synchronous polar orbit leaving a debris field of at least 43 to 100 large fragments and more than 50,000 pieces smaller than 1 millimeter. The Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Space Force Base , Lompoc, California

2494-432: The ozone, air pollution transport and dispersion , El Niño / La Niña events, fisheries productivity, ocean currents, deep sea thermal vents, and coastal ecosystem health. NOAA research also develops innovative technologies and observing systems. The NOAA Research network consists of seven internal research laboratories, extramural research at 30 Sea Grant university and research programs, six undersea research centers,

2552-792: The participation of students and visiting scientists. AOML is a member of a unique community of marine research and educational institutions located on Virginia Key in Miami, Florida. In 1977, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) deployed the first successful moored equatorial current meter – the beginning of the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean , TAO, array. In 1984, the Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere program (TOGA) program began. The Arctic Report Card

2610-403: The shape and dimension of the earlier series, featuring improved infrared radiometers. The designation DMSP-2 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Block 2) was retroactively assigned to these satellites. The single DSAP-3 (Defense Satellite Application Program Block 3) was a modified DSAP-2 satellite to provide experimental tactical access to weather data, for which a tactical readout station

2668-405: The team "stopped public panic" and "ensured public safety". He said that when Birmingham issued their instructions they were not aware that the calls they were receiving were a result of Trump's tweet. The acting chief scientist and assistant administrator for the ocean and atmospheric research said he is "pursuing the potential violations" of the agency's scientific integrity policy. The NOAA flag

2726-521: The transport, dispersion , transformation and removal of pollutants from the ambient atmosphere. The emphasis of the ARL's work is on data interpretation, technology development and transfer. The specific goal of ARL research is to improve and eventually to institutionalize prediction of trends, dispersion of air pollutant plumes , air quality , atmospheric deposition, and related variables. The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML),

2784-578: Was also caused by battery problems. At the time the cause of DMSP-12's explosion was however unknown, although a collision with another object did not seem to be the cause. Apparently, very little debris (just one trackable piece) was generated in DMSP-12 explosion. DMSP-12 was decommissioned in 2008. In January 2017, the Joint Space Operations Center announced that two non-maneuverable satellites would come dangerously close, with

2842-630: Was an extremely powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that devastated the northwestern Bahamas and caused significant damage to the Southeastern United States and Atlantic Canada in September 2019. By September 1, NOAA had issued a statement saying that the "current forecast path of Dorian does not include Alabama". However, on that date, President Donald Trump tweeted that Alabama, among other states, "will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated". Shortly thereafter,

2900-557: Was built near Saigon. The designation DMSP-3 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Block 3) was retroactively assigned to this satellite. In 2015, Congress voted to terminate the DMSP program and to scrap the DMSP 5D-3/F20 satellite, ordering the Air Force to move on to a next-generation system. The Air Force had intended to keep DMSP F20 in climate-controlled storage at a Lockheed Martin clean room in Sunnyvale, California, for

2958-413: Was considered to be 'lost'. The satellite's data can still be used, until it ceases pointing the sensors towards the Earth . The satellite was the most recent on-orbit, having been launched on 3 April 2014. The failure only left F16, F17 and F18 – all significantly past their expected 3–5 year lifespan – operational. F19's planned replacement was not carried out because Congress ordered the destruction of

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3016-747: Was created by an executive order in 1970 and has never been established in law, despite its critical role. In January 2023, The Washington Post reported that Congressman Frank Lucas , the new chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, had released draft legislation to make NOAA an independent agency, rather than it being part of the Commerce Department. Lucas' push was in response to Republican leaders who had signaled plans to slash funding for agencies and programs that continued to receive annual appropriations, but had not been reauthorized by Congress. "It's been made quite clear in

3074-580: Was initially known as Program 35 . The first successful launch of a Program 35 spacecraft used a Scout X-2 rocket lifting off from Point Arguello near Vandenberg Space Force Base on 23 August 1962. This was P35-2, the earlier P35-1 launch on 24 May 1962 had failed to reach orbit. All five Program 35 launch attempts using Scout launch vehicle, including the two successes, were made from Vandenberg SLC-5 . Other early launches were conducted using Thor-Burner launch vehicles, with Altair or Burner II upper stages . Program 35 had by this time been renamed

3132-451: Was initiated in 1871 with a primary goal of the research, protection, management, and restoration of commercial and recreational fisheries and their habitat, and protected species. The NMFS operates twelve headquarters offices, five regional offices, six fisheries science centers, and more than 20 laboratories throughout the United States and U.S. territories, which are the sites of research and management of marine resources. The NMFS operates

3190-401: Was launched. Since 1966, NESDIS has managed polar orbiting satellites (POES). Since 1974, it has operated geosynchronous satellites (GOES). In 1979, NOAA's first polar-orbiting environmental satellite was launched. Current operational satellites include NOAA-15 , NOAA-18 , NOAA-19 , GOES 13 , GOES 14 , GOES 15 , Jason-2 and DSCOVR . In 1983, NOAA assumed operational responsibility for

3248-503: Was limited to "need-to-know" personnel. The United States Congress had assigned a substantial budget towards the civil weather satellite program; if knowledge of a second military program came out, it would have been hard for the military to justify it. Initial operations of early DMSP systems provided radio return of cloud-cover imagery for planning of U.S. high-resolution photographic reconnaissance and surveillance missions, which utilized film-return systems . DMSP satellites operated in

3306-511: Was the first series of military meteorological satellites of the United States. The project designation P-698BH was used concurrently with P-35 from June 1962 and P-35 became P-417 in October 1962. The designation DMSP-1 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Block 1) was retroactively assigned to these satellites. The DSAP-2 (Defense Satellite Application Program Block 2) satellites series consisted of three modified DSAP-1 satellites, retaining

3364-619: Was to be replaced by the Defense Weather Satellite System (DWSS) but that was cancelled in 2012. In 2017, the Air Force awarded a contract to build the first of the new defense weather satellites, the Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite. In 2004 the USAF weather satellite DMSP Block 5D-2 F-11 (S-12) or DMSP-11 , launched in 1991 and retired in 1995, exploded in orbit with debris objects generated. It seems likely

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