NOAA-17 (previously NOAA-M) was launched on June 24, 2002 from Vandenberg
AFB, CA.
NOAA-M POES (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites)
... provides global
coverage of numerous atmospheric and surface parameters for weather
forecasting and meteorological research, as well as space environment
monitors and an aircraft and maritime emergency beacon system. This is a
reimbursable project for NOAA. NASA builds and launches the satellites.
NOAA operates the satellites post commissioning and check-out period and
uses the data in weather forecasts.??Energy forecasting, aviation safety,
disaster management, public health, and air quality.???
Instruments include:
* AMSU-B (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B)
* MHS (Microwave Humidity Sounder)
* SBUV (Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Radiometer)
* DCS (Data Collection System)
* S&R (Search and Rescue)
* AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer)
* HIRS (High Resolution Infrared Radiometer Sounder)
* AMSU-A (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A)
For more information, see:
http://poes.gsfc.nasa.gov/