Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
Artist rendition of a DMSP-5D2 satellite in orbit | |
| Program overview | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Organization | United States Space Force |
| Purpose | Earth monitoring |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Program history | |
| First flight | DMSP-1 F2 23 August 1962 |
| Last flight | DMSP 5D-3/F19 3 April 2014 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base |
The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) monitors meteorological, oceanographic, and solar-terrestrial physics for 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).
All data ingestion, processing, and distribution by Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) was set to be permanently terminated as of June 30, 2025 due to a "significant cybersecurity risk." However, the Earth Science Division Director at NASA, Dr. Karen St. Germain, requested that the decommission be delayed due to the short notice provided. FNMOC now expects to continue to ingest and disseminate data until July 31, 2025.