NPOESS
Full Name: National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System
Phase: Development
Launch Date: March 31, 2014
Mission Project Home Page: http://www.ipo.noaa.gov/
Program(s): GOES / POES
The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is a satellite system used to monitor global environmental conditions, and collect and disseminate data related to weather, atmosphere, oceans, land and near-space environment. In 1994, it was recognized that converging the existing polar systems from the Department of Commerce (DoC) and Department of Defense (DoD) would result in a higher performance integrated system. NPOESS will gather those existing polar-orbiting satellite systems into a single national program.
Polar-orbiting satellites observe Earth from space and collect and disseminate data on Earth's weather, atmosphere, oceans, land, and near-space environment and are able to monitor the entire planet and provide data for long-range weather and climate forecasts.
The program is managed by the tri-agency Integrated Program Office (IPO) utilizing personnel from the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense and NASA. The current NPOESS mandate extends to the year 2018.