Engineering:Weather System Follow-on Microwave Program
| Names | WSF-M |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Space weather |
| Operator | USSF |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Ball Aerospace & Technologies |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 11 April 2024, 14:25 UTC (WSF-M1)[1][2] 2027 (WSF-M2) |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg, SLC-4E |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Instruments | |
| Microwave imaging radiometer | |
Weather System Follow-on Microwave Program | |
The Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite is the United States Department of Defense's next-generation operational environmental satellite system. WSF-M will be a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite with a passive microwave imaging radiometer instrument and hosted furnished Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor.[3][4] Space Operations Command intends to include ECP sensors on all future satellites for space weather monitoring, starting from the early 2020s.[5]
WSF-M is the first satellite in the Weather System Follow-on (WSF) program. Following the cancellation of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), the Air Force continued the development of a weather satellite under the Defense Weather Satellite System (DWSS) program based on NPOESS. However, when that system faced delays and funding issues, the White House cancelled it and instituted the WSF program.[6]
WSF-M is designed to mitigate three high priority U.S. DoD Space-Based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM) gaps: ocean surface vector winds, tropical cyclone intensity and LEO energetic charged particles.[4]
WSF-M1
| Names | WSF-M1 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Space weather |
| Operator | USSF |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Ball Aerospace & Technologies |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 11 April 2024, 14:25 UTC[1][2] |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 Cargo |
| Launch site | Vandenberg |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Instruments | |
| Microwave imaging radiometer | |
Weather System Follow-on Microwave program | |
WSF-M1 was launched in April 2024 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.[1][2]
WSF-M2
| Names | WSF-M2 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Space weather |
| Operator | USSF |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Ball Aerospace & Technologies |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2027[1][2] |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Instruments | |
| Microwave imaging radiometer | |
Weather System Follow-on Microwave program | |
See also
- Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
- NPOESS
- Joint Polar Satellite System
- Defense Weather Satellite System
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 @USSF_SSC (27 May 2022). "SSC ordered 8 National Security Space Launch missions from our industry partners ULA & SpaceX for launch in 2024 for #SpaceForce.". https://twitter.com/USSF_SSC/status/1529969683671134209.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Ball Aerospace Ships Space Systems Command Operational Weather Satellite for Launch". 6 February 2024. https://www.ball.com/aerospace/newsroom/blogs/ball-aerospace-ships-wsf-m-satellite-for-launch.
- ↑ "WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) Satellite". eoPortal. ESA. March 2021. https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/content/-/article/wsf-m.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Russell, Kendall (30 November 2017). "Ball Aerospace Wins Air Force Contract for New Weather Satellite". Satellite Today. https://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2017/11/30/ball-aerospace-wins-air-force-contract-new-weather-satellite/.
- ↑ Werner, Debra (6 March 2019). "Are small satellites the solution for space weather monitoring?". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/are-small-satellites-the-solution-for-space-weather-monitoring/.
- ↑ "USAF Weather Satellite Program in Disarray". 23 February 2017. http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/181430/us-air-force-weather-satellite-program-in-disarray.html.
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