Aging defense satellites jeopardize US climate monitoring ability

Washington Post : The recent failure of satellite F17, part of the US Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), has prompted debate over the US’s ability to continue to collect high-quality climate-related data. Since 1962 the DMSP has been launching satellites that are equipped with passive sensors to detect microwaves emitted by Earth. Because the passive microwave technology is unaffected by cloud cover and darkness, it has proven invaluable in gathering information on such important indicators of climate change as polar sea ice extent plus global precipitation and wind speeds. However, after some 40 years of continuous climate monitoring, the program is now coming to an end. If no new satellites are developed to replace the DMSP’s aging fleet, US researchers will be forced to depend on newer, potentially lower-quality data sources.