Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
Encyclopedia
The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) monitors meteorological, oceanographic, and solar-terrestrial physics for the United States Department of Defense
. The program is now run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. The (originally classified) mission of the satellites was revealed in March 1973. They provide cloud cover imagery from polar orbit
s that are sun-synchronous
at nominal altitude of 450 nautical miles (833.4 km).
During the 1960s, one of most important projects the United States civil space program was involved in and 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 warfighter for more effective military operations. From the onset of the DMSP program, knowledge of its existence 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 US high-resolution photographic reconnaissance and surveillance missions, which utilized film-return systems
. DMSP satellites operated in 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 period
s of roughly 101 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 the Earth and received by two command and readout stations established at retired Nike missile
sites located near Fairchild Air Force Base
, Washington and Loring Air Force Base
, 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 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 onboard processing, this includes multiple onboard computers and expanded power requirements.
Now in its fifth decade of service, the DMSP 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 June 1, 1998 the control and maintenance of the satellites were transferred to NOAA in order to reduce costs.
near Vandenberg Air Force Base
(VAFB) on 1962-08-23. This was P35-2; the earlier P35-1 launch on 1962-05-24 had failed to reach orbit. All five Program 35 launch attempts using Scout rockets, including the two successes, were made from VAFB SLC-5
. Other early launches were conducted using Thor launch vehicles, with Altair
or Burner II
upper stages
. Program 35 had by this time been renamed 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 next DMSP launch will be of the F18 satellite, scheduled for launch from Vandenberg aboard an Atlas V
on October 18, 2009. United Launch Alliance
plans to use the DMSP-18 mission to flight-test centrifugal propellant settling as a cryogenic fuel management technique that might be used in future propellant depot
s.
The Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager (SSULI) launched on DMSP F-18. SSULI was developed by the Spacecraft Engineering Department and Space Science Division of the Naval Research Laboratory. SSULI observations yield altitude profiles of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere over the wavelength range of 80 nanometers (nm) to 170 nm. These observations will be used by the Air Force Weather Agency
.
After DMSP F-18, two additional DMSP satellites remain to be launched.
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. The program is now run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
. The (originally classified) mission of the satellites was revealed in March 1973. They provide cloud cover imagery from polar orbit
Polar orbit
A polar orbit is an orbit in which a satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body being orbited on each revolution. It therefore has an inclination of 90 degrees to the equator...
s that are sun-synchronous
Sun-synchronous orbit
A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time...
at nominal altitude of 450 nautical miles (833.4 km).
History
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
and weather forecasting. Unbeknownst to many, the U.S. military services were also starting up a weather satellite
Weather satellite
The weather satellite is a type of satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be either polar orbiting, seeing the same swath of the Earth every 12 hours, or geostationary, hovering over the same spot on Earth by orbiting over the equator while...
program. This program, the DMSP, would relay important weather and climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
data to the warfighter for more effective military operations. From the onset of the DMSP program, knowledge of its existence was limited to 'need-to-know' personnel. The United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
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 US high-resolution photographic reconnaissance and surveillance missions, which utilized film-return systems
Mid-air retrieval
Mid-air retrieval is a technique used in atmospheric reentry when the reentering vehicle is incapable of a satisfactory unassisted landing. The vehicle is slowed by means of parachutes, and then a specially-equipped aircraft matches the vehicle's trajectory and catches it in mid-air.This is a risky...
. DMSP satellites operated in a sun-synchronous orbit
Sun-synchronous orbit
A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time...
; passing over the north and south poles, the satellite would 'see' different strips of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
at the same local time each day. The DMSP satellites had period
Orbital period
The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
s of roughly 101 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 the Earth and received by two command and readout stations established at retired Nike missile
Project Nike
Project Nike was a U.S. Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Laboratories, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. The project delivered the United States' first operational anti-aircraft missile system, the Nike Ajax, in 1953...
sites located near Fairchild Air Force Base
Fairchild Air Force Base
Fairchild Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southwest of Spokane, Washington.The host unit at Fairchild is the 92d Air Refueling Wing assigned to the Air Mobility Command's 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force...
, Washington and Loring Air Force Base
Loring Air Force Base
Loring Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base that was under the operational control of the Strategic Air Command for most of its existence. In 1992, it was transferred to the newly-established Air Combat Command, and it was finally closed as an active Air Force installation in...
, Maine. From these sites, the images were then sent to Air Force Global Weather Central (AFGWC) located at Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
, Nebraska. Images would then be processed, forming a mosaic representing 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
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
processing enabled night viewing. Other enhancements increased onboard processing, this includes multiple onboard computers and expanded power requirements.
Now in its fifth decade of service, the DMSP 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 June 1, 1998 the control and maintenance of the satellites were transferred to NOAA in order to reduce costs.
Launch history
DSMP 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 ArguelloPoint Arguello
Point Arguello is a headland used as a launch site by the United States Navy. Point Arguello was first used in 1959 for the launch of military and sounding rockets. It was transferred to the United States Air Force in 1964, at which time it became part of Vandenberg Air Force Base.There were 6...
near Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
(VAFB) on 1962-08-23. This was P35-2; the earlier P35-1 launch on 1962-05-24 had failed to reach orbit. All five Program 35 launch attempts using Scout rockets, including the two successes, were made from VAFB SLC-5
Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 5
Space Launch Complex 5 was a launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, United States. It was previously part of the Point Arguello Naval Air Station, during which time it was designated Launch Complex D or LC-D. Constructed in 1961, it was used by 69 Scout rockets between 1962 and 1994...
. Other early launches were conducted using Thor launch vehicles, with Altair
Altair (rocket stage)
The Altair was a solid-fuel rocket with a fiberglass casing, initially developed for use as the third stage of Vanguard rockets. It was manufactured by Allegany Ballistics Laboratory as the X-248. It was also sometimes called the Burner 1.-Uses:...
or Burner II
Burner (rocket stage)
The Burner and Burner 2 rocket stages have been used as upper stages of launch vehicles such as the Thor-Burner and Delta since 1965. The currently available Burner 2 is powered by a Star 37 solid rocket motor....
upper stages
Multistage rocket
A multistage rocket is a rocket that usestwo or more stages, each of which contains its own engines and propellant. A tandem or serial stage is mounted on top of another stage; a parallel stage is attached alongside another stage. The result is effectively two or more rockets stacked on top of or...
. Program 35 had by this time been renamed the Data Acquisition and Processing Program, and the DAPP acronym is sometimes used for these satellites. Eight satellites were launched using Atlas E
Atlas E/F
The Atlas E/F, also designated SB-1A was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket built using parts of decommissioned SM-65 Atlas missiles...
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 next DMSP launch will be of the F18 satellite, scheduled for launch from Vandenberg aboard an Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
on October 18, 2009. United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. U.S...
plans to use the DMSP-18 mission to flight-test centrifugal propellant settling as a cryogenic fuel management technique that might be used in future propellant depot
Propellant depot
An orbital propellant depot is a cache of propellant that is placed on an orbit about the Earth or another body to allow spacecraft to be fuelled in space. Launching a spacecraft separately from some of its propellant enables missions with more massive payloads...
s.
Block 1
| Block 1 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
Launch date | Launch vehicle | Mass (kg) | Period (min) | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) | Status | Alt. name |
| DMSP 1 F1 | 23 May 1962 | Scout | Failed to orbit; 2nd stage exploded | Program 35 F-1 | ||||||
| DMSP 1 F2 | 23 Aug 1962 | Scout | Success; EOM 11 Jun 1963 | Program 35 F-2 | ||||||
| DMSP 1 F3 | 19 Feb 1963 | Scout | Improper orbit; first DMSP with infrared system | Program 35 F-3 | ||||||
| DMSP 1 F4 | 26 Apr 1963 | Scout | Failed to orbit; 3rd stage exploded | Program 35 F-4 | ||||||
| DMSP 1 F5 | 27 Sep 1963 | Scout | Failed to orbit; 3rd stage failure | Program 35 F-5 | ||||||
| DMSP 1 F6 | 19 Jan 1964 | Thor-Agena D | EOM 10 Jul 1964 | Program 35 F-6 | ||||||
| DMSP 1 F7 | 19 Jan 1964 | Thor-Agena D | EOM 17 Mar 1965 | Program 35 F-7 | ||||||
| DMSP 1 F8 | 17 Jun 1964 | Thor-Agena D | EOM 16 Feb 1966 | Program 35 F-8 | ||||||
| DMSP 1 F9 | 17 Jun 1964 | Thor-Agena D | 15 Oct 1965 | Program 35 F-9 | ||||||
Block 2
| Block 2 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
Launch date | Launch vehicle | Mass (kg) | Period (min) | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) | Status | Alt. name |
Block 3
| Block 3 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
Launch date | Launch vehicle | Mass (kg) | Period (min) | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) | Status | Alt. name |
Block 4A
| Block 4A | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
Launch date | Launch vehicle | Mass (kg) | Period (min) | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) | Status | Alt. name |
| DMSP 4A 1 | 1965-003A | 19 Jan 1965 | Thor-Altair | 250 | 97.7 | 471 | 822 | 98.8 | Decayed 13 Jul 1979; 1st use of Thor-Altair | OPS-7040 |
| DMSP 4A 2 | 1965-021A | 18 Mar 1965 | Thor-Altair | 250 | 94.4 | 442 | 533 | 99.0 | Decayed 31 Dec 1989 | OPS-7353 |
| DMSP 4A 3 | 1965-038A | 20 May 1965 | Thor-Altair | 250 | 98.7 | 527 | 829 | 98.2 | In orbit | OPS-8386 |
| DMSP 4A 4 | 1965-072A | 10 Sep 1965 | Thor-Altair | 250 | 101.5 | 639 | 1,013 | 99.0 | In orbit | OPS-8068 |
| DMSP 4A 5 | None | 6 Jan 1966 | Thor-Altair | 250 | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | Failed to orbit | ----- |
| DMSP 4A 6 | 1966-026A | 30 Mar 1966 | Thor-Altair | 250 | 99.9 | 613 | 883 | 98.5 | In orbit | OPS-0340 |
| DMSP 4A 7 | 1966-082A | 16 Sep 1966 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 100.4 | 680 | 872 | 98.8 | In orbit; 1st use of Burner II | OPS-6026 |
| DMSP 4A 8 | 1967-010A | 8 Feb 1967 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 101.3 | 778 | 854 | 98.9 | In orbit | OPS-6073 |
| DMSP 4A 9 | 1967-080A | 23 Aug 1967 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 102.2 | 822 | 878 | 98.8 | In orbit | OPS-7202 |
| DMSP 4A 10 | 1967-096A | 11 Oct 1967 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 99.5 | 650 | 822 | 99.2 | In orbit | OPS-1264 |
Block 5A
| Block 5A | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
Launch date | Launch vehicle | Mass (kg) | Period (min) | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) | Status | Alt. name |
| DMSP 5A 1 | 1968-042A | 23 May 1968 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 101.9 | 809 | 888 | 98.8 | In orbit | OPS-7869 |
| DMSP 5A 2 | 1968-092A | 23 Oct 1968 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 101.2 | 792 | 838 | 98.5 | In orbit | OPS-4078 |
| DMSP 5A 3 | 1969-062A | 23 Jul 1969 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 101.1 | 775 | 844 | 98.5 | In orbit | OPS-1127 |
| DMSP 5A 4 | 1970-012A | 11 Feb 1970 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 101.1 | 759 | 850 | 98.8 | In orbit | OPS-0054 |
| DMSP 5A 5 | 1970-070A | 3 Sep 1970 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 101.9 | 764 | 874 | 99.1 | Reentered 21 Sep 1970 | OPS-0203 |
| DMSP 5A 6 | 1971-012A | 17 Feb 1971 | Thor-Burner II | 420 | 100.6 | 755 | 817 | 98.3 | In orbit | OPS-5268 |
Block 5B
| Block 5B | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
Launch date | Launch vehicle | Mass (kg) | Period (min) | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) | Status | Alt. name |
| DMSP 5B 1 | 1971-087A | 14 Oct 1971 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.4 | 782 | 865 | 99.1 | In orbit | OPS-4311 |
| DMSP 5B 2 | 1972-018A | 24 Mar 1972 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.5 | 787 | 868 | 99.1 | In orbit | OPS-5058 |
| DMSP 5B 3 | 1972-089A | 9 Nov 1972 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.4 | 797 | 855 | 98.8 | In orbit | OPS-7323 |
| DMSP 5B 4 | 1973-054A | 17 Aug 1973 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.2 | 795 | 839 | 98.5 | In orbit | OPS-8364 |
| DMSP 5B 5 | 1974-015A | 16 Mar 1974 | Thor-Burner IIA | 513 | 101.2 | 767 | 859 | 99.0 | In orbit | OPS-8579 |
Block 5C
| Block 5C | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
Launch date | Launch vehicle | Mass (kg) | Period (min) | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) | Status | Alt. name |
| DMSP 5C 1 | 1974-063A | 9 Aug 1974 | Thor-Burner IIA | 513 | 101.5 | 792 | 862 | 98.7 | In orbit | OPS-6983 |
| DMSP 5C 2 | 1975-043A | 24 May 1975 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.7 | 797 | 881 | 98.7 | In orbit | OPS-6229 |
| DMSP 5C 3 | 1976-016A | 19 Feb 1976 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 89.0 | 90 | 355 | 98.9 | Decayed 19 Feb 1976 | OPS-5140 |
Block 5D
| Block 5D | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
Launch date | Launch vehicle | Mass (kg) | Period (min) | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) | Status | Alt. name |
| DMSP 5D-1/F1 | 1976-091A | 11 Sep 1976 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.3 | 806 | 834 | 98.6 | In orbit; aka AMS 1 | OPS-5721 |
| DMSP 5D1/F2 | 1977-044A | 5 Jun 1977 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.3 | 789 | 853 | 99.0 | In orbit; aka AMS 2 | OPS-5644 |
| DMSP 5D-1/F3 | 1978-042A | 1 May 1978 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.1 | 804 | 817 | 98.6 | In orbit; aka AMS 3 | OPS-6182 |
| DMSP 5D-1/F4 | 1979-050A | 6 Jun 1979 | Thor-Burner II | 513 | 101.2 | 806 | 828 | 98.7 | In orbit; aka AMS 4 | OPS-5390 |
| DMSP 5D-1/F5 | None | 14 July 1980 | Thor | 513 | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | Failed to orbit | ----- |
| DMSP 5D-2/F6 | 1982-118A | 21 Dec 1982 | Atlas E | 751 | 101.2 | 811 | 823 | 98.7 | In orbit; aka AMS 5 | OPS-9845 |
| DMSP 5D-2/F7 | 1983-113A | 18 Nov 1983 | Atlas E | 751 | 101.4 | 815 | 832 | 98.7 | In orbit | OPS-1294 |
| DMSP 5D-2/F8 | 1987-053A | 20 Jun 1987 | Atlas E | 823 | 96.89 | 564 | 653 | 97.6 | In orbit; first to carry SSM/I microwave imaging sensor to see through clouds | USA-26 |
| DMSP 5D-2/F9 | 1988-006A | 3 Feb 1988 | Atlas E | 823 | 101.3 | 815 | 826 | 98.7 | In orbit | USA-29 |
| DMSP 5D-2/F10 | 1990-105A | 1 Dec 1990 | Atlas E | 823 | 100.6 | 729 | 845 | 98.9 | Operational, but not in desired orbit | USA-68 |
| DMSP 5D-2/F11 | 1991-082A | 28 Nov 1991 | Atlas E | 823 | 101.9 | 835 | 855 | 98.9 | Exploded in orbit May 2004 | USA-73 |
| DMSP 5D-2/F12 | 1994-057A | 29 Aug 1994 | Atlas E | 830 | 101.9 | 839 | 856 | 98.9 | In orbit | USA-106 |
| DMSP 5D-2/F13 | 1995-015A | 24 March 1995 | Atlas E | 830 | 101.9 | 845 | 854 | 98.8 | In orbit | USA-109 |
| DMSP 5D-2/F14 | 1997-012A | 4 Apr 1997 | Titan II | 830 | 101.9 | 842 | 855 | 98.9 | In orbit | USA-131 |
| DMSP 5D-3/F15 | 1999-067A | 12 Dec 1999 | Titan II | 101.8 | 837 | 851 | 98.9 | In orbit | USA-147 | |
| DMSP 5D-3/F16 | 2003-048A | 18 Oct 2003 | Titan II | 101.9 | 843 | 853 | 98.9 | In orbit | USA-172 | |
| DMSP 5D-3/F17 | 2006-050A | 04 Nov 2006 | Delta IV | 102 | 841 | 855 | 98.8 | In orbit | USA-191 | |
| DMSP 5D-3/F18 | 2009-057A | 18 Oct 2009 | Atlas V | In orbit. Included a 2.4 hour post-spacecraft mission test of cryogenic fluid management on the Centaur upper stage. | ||||||
The Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager (SSULI) launched on DMSP F-18. SSULI was developed by the Spacecraft Engineering Department and Space Science Division of the Naval Research Laboratory. SSULI observations yield altitude profiles of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere over the wavelength range of 80 nanometers (nm) to 170 nm. These observations will be used by the Air Force Weather Agency
Air Force Weather Agency
The Air Force Weather Agency is a Field Operating Agency and the lead military meteorology center of the United States Air Force...
.
After DMSP F-18, two additional DMSP satellites remain to be launched.
See also
- NPOESSNPOESSThe National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System was to be the United States' next-generation satellite system that would monitor the Earth's weather, atmosphere, oceans, land and near-space environment. NPOESS satellites were to host proven technologies and operational...
- the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System