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(s) | 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).[1] 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).[2]