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About 600 miles in front of the west coast of Africa organize large storm clusters in tropical storms in every hurricane season. They are not yet within reach of Hurricane Hunter, so the forecasts in the National Hurricane Center rely on weather satellites to look at these storms on these storms and to radiate information about their location, structure and intensity.
The satellite data helps to create meteorologists to create weather forecasts, keep aircraft and ships safely and prepare the countries for a potential hurricane landfall.
Now meteorologists lose access to three of these satellites.
On June 25, 2025, the Trump administration announced a change in service, which announced that the Meteorological Satellite Program of Defense, DMSP, and the fleet meteorology and oceanography -Center of the Navy does not end the data acquisition, processing and distribution of all DMSP data later on June 30th.
I am a meteorologist who studies lightning in hurricanes and can train other meteorologists while monitoring and predicting tropical cyclones. So meteorologists use the DMSP data and why they are worried about getting dark.
Look into the clouds
A weather satellite is the simplest is a high -resolution digital camera in the room that takes pictures of clouds in the atmosphere.
These are the satellite images that you see in most TV weather programs. They let meteorologists see the place and some details of the structure of a hurricane, but only in daylight.
Meteorologists can use infrared satellite data at all hours of the day, similar to a heat conducting camera, to find the coldest cloud temperatures in which areas are highlighted in which the highest wind speeds and precipitation rates are found.
Although visible and infrared satellite images are valuable tools for hurricane forecasts, they only offer a fundamental image of the storm. It is like a doctor who diagnoses a patient after a visual examination and checked their temperature.
An infographic shows all the weather satellites that circle the earth in 2016: NoaAsatellites about Wikimedia Commons
For more precise diagnoses, meteorologists rely on the DMSP satellites.
The three satellites circle the earth 14 times a day with special sensor microwaves -Imagator/sound instruments or SSMIs. These let meteorologists look into the clouds, similar to what an MRI looks like in a hospital in a human body. With these instruments, meteorologists can determine the storm’s low pressure center and identify signs of intensification.
The exact localization of the center of a hurricane improves the forecasts of the future route of the storm. This enables meteorologists to produce more precise hurricane watches, warnings and evacuations.
The forecasts of the Hurricane Track have improved by up to 75% since 1990. However, the forecast of quick intensification is still difficult, so the ability of DMPS data to identify signs of intensification is important.
About 80% of the most important hurricanes – those with wind speeds of at least 179 kilometers per hour – will eventually increase up to date and increase the risks that they express for people and ownership on land. If meteorologists warn the public of these dangerous hurricanes when storms are intensified, they can intensify.
Where do the defense satellites go?
The office of satellites and product operations from NOAA describes the reason to switch off the data flow in order to alleviate “a significant cyber security risk”.
The three satellites have been operated on longer than planned.
The DMSP satellites were launched between 1999 and 2009 and were designed for five years. You have been working for more than 15 years now. The United States Space Force recently came to the conclusion that the DMSP satellites would reach the end of their lives between 2023 and 2026, so that the data would soon be dark.
A graphic of the Goes-I, the first US weather satellite in space. Originally GOS-8 until his successful start on April 13, 1994 when it was put into operation. | Credit: NOAA photo library via Wikimedia Commons
Is there a replacement for the DMSP satellites?
Three other satellites in the Orbit-Noaa-20, NOAA-21 and Suomi NPP.
The advanced technology microwaves or the ATMs can provide data similar to the special sensor microwaven -imagator/Sounder or SSMIS, but with a lower resolution. It offers a washed view that is less useful than the SSMIS to put the position of a storm or appreciate its intensity.
The US Space Force started using data from a new satellite satellite in defense, ML-1A.
ML-1A is a microwave satellite that helps to replace some of the functions of the DMSP satellites. However, the government has not announced whether the ML-1A data is available for forecasters, including those of the National Hurricane Center.
Why are satellite replacement at the last minute?
Satellite programs are over many years, even decades and very expensive. The current geostationary satellite program launched its first satellites with the plans in 2016 to operate until 2038. The development of the planned successor for GOS-R started in 2019.
Similarly, plans for replacing the DMSP satellites have been in progress since the early 2000s.
Delays in the development of satellite instruments and the funding reductions meant that the national polarorbiting operational environmental satellite system and the satellite system for defense weather were canceled in 2010 and 2012 before one of its satellites could be started.
The NOAA household request 2026 contains an increase in financing for the next generation geostationary satellite program, so that it can be restructured to reuse spare parts from existing geostationary satellites. The budget also ends contracts for ocean color, atmospheric composition and expanded Lightning Mapper instruments.
A photo of a heavy storm about Chicago, which was taken by the Goes East Noaa satellites. | Credit: Noaa
A busy season remains
The Atlantic Hurricane season, which takes place from June 1st to November 30th to November 30th to November 30th, is expected to be above average with six to 10 hurricanes. The most active part of the season runs from mid -August to mid -October after the DMSP satellite data is to be switched off.
Hurricane forecasts will continue to use all available tools, including satellites, radar, weather balloon and drop probe data, to monitor the tropics and output hurricane forecasts. The loss of satellite data as well as other cuts in data, funds and personnel could ultimately enter into more life.
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