Weather System Follow-on Microwave Program: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|American meteorology satellite}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = Weather System Follow-on Microwave
| names_list = WSF-M
| image =
| image_caption =
| image_size = 300px
 
| mission_type = [[Space weather]]
| operator = [[United States Space Force|USSF]]
| COSPAR_ID =
| SATCAT =
| website =
| mission_duration =
 
| spacecraft =
| spacecraft_type =
| spacecraft_bus =
| manufacturer = [[Ball Aerospace & Technologies]]
| launch_mass =
| dimensions =
| power =
 
| launch_date = 11 April 2024, 14:25 UTC (WSF-M1)<ref name=2024USSF/><ref name=BATC2024/><br/>2027 (WSF-M2)
| launch_rocket = [[Falcon 9 Block 5]]
| launch_site = [[Vandenberg Space Force Base|Vandenberg]], [[SLC-4E]]
| launch_contractor = [[SpaceX]]
 
| entered_service =
| deactivated =
| last_contact =
| decay_date =
 
| orbit_reference = [[Geocentric orbit]]
| orbit_regime = [[Sun-synchronous orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis =
| orbit_apoapsis =
| orbit_inclination =
| orbit_period =
| apsis = gee
 
| instruments = Microwave imaging radiometer
 
| insignia =
| insignia_caption =
| insignia_size = 200px
 
| programme = [[Weather System Follow-on Microwave Program]]
| previous_mission = [[Defense Meteorological Satellite Program|DMSP]]
| next_mission =
}}
 
The '''Weather System Follow-on Microwave''' (WSF-M) satellite is the [[United States Department of Defense|United States Department of Defense's]] next-generation operational [[environmental satellite]] system. WSF-M will be a [[Sun-synchronous orbit|Sun-synchronous]] [[low Earth orbit]] (LEO) satellite with a passive [[microwave imaging]] radiometer instrument and hosted furnished Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/content/-/article/wsf-m |title=WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) Satellite |work=eoPortal |publisher=[[ESA]] |date=March 2021 |access-date=24 May 2021}}</ref><ref name="Ball">{{cite news|last1=Russell|first1=Kendall|title=Ball Aerospace Wins Air Force Contract for New Weather Satellite|url=https://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2017/11/30/ball-aerospace-wins-air-force-contract-new-weather-satellite/|publisher=Satellite Today|date=30 November 2017|access-date=13 December 2017}}</ref> [[Space Operations Command]] intends to include ECP sensors on all future satellites for [[space weather]] monitoring, starting from the early 2020s.<ref name="Foust20160613">{{cite news|last=Werner|first=Debra|title=Are small satellites the solution for space weather monitoring?|url=https://spacenews.com/are-small-satellites-the-solution-for-space-weather-monitoring/|work=[[SpaceNews]]|date=6 March 2019|access-date=13 October 2019}}</ref>
 
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.<ref>{{cite news|title=USAF Weather Satellite Program in Disarray|url=http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/181430/us-air-force-weather-satellite-program-in-disarray.html|website=defense-aerospace.com|access-date=13 December 2017|date=23 February 2017}}</ref>
 
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.<ref name="Ball"/>
 
==WSF-M1==
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = Weather System Follow-on Microwave-1
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| launch_date = 11 April 2024, 14:25 UTC<ref name=2024USSF/><ref name=BATC2024/>
| launch_rocket = [[Falcon 9 Block 5]] Cargo
| launch_site = [[Vandenberg Space Force Base|Vandenberg]]
| launch_contractor = [[SpaceX]]
Line 52 ⟶ 111:
}}
 
The '''Weather System Follow-on Microwave''' (WSF-M) satellite is the [[United States Department of Defense|United States Department of Defense's]] next-generation operational [[environmental satellite]] system. WSF-M will be a [[Sun-synchronous orbit|Sun-synchronous]] [[Low Earth orbit|low Earth orbit]] (LEO) satellite with a passive [[microwave imaging]] radiometer instrument and hosted furnished Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/content/-/article/wsf-m |title=WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) Satellite |work=eoPortal |publisher=[[ESA]] |date=March 2021 |access-date=24 May 2021}}</ref><ref name="Ball">{{cite news|last1=Russell|first1=Kendall|title=Ball Aerospace Wins Air Force Contract for New Weather Satellite|url=https://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2017/11/30/ball-aerospace-wins-air-force-contract-new-weather-satellite/|publisher=Satellite Today|date=30 November 2017|access-date=13 December 2017}}</ref> [[Space Operations Command]] intends to include ECP sensors on all future satellites for [[space weather]] monitoring, starting from the early 2020s.<ref name="Foust20160613">{{cite news|last=Werner|first=Debra|title=Are small satellites the solution for space weather monitoring?|url=https://spacenews.com/are-small-satellites-the-solution-for-space-weather-monitoring/|work=[[SpaceNews]]|date=6 March 2019|access-date=13 October 2019}}</ref> WSF-MM1 was launched in April 2024 on a [[Falcon 9 Block 5]] rocket from [[Vandenberg Space Force Base]].<ref name=2024USSF>{{cite tweet |user=USSF_SSC |number=1529969683671134209|title=SSC ordered 8 National Security Space Launch missions from our industry partners ULA & SpaceX for launch in 2024 for #SpaceForce. |date=27 May 2022 |access-date=27 May 2022}}</ref><ref name="BATC2024">{{cite web |url=https://www.ball.com/aerospace/newsroom/blogs/ball-aerospace-ships-wsf-m-satellite-for-launch |title=Ball Aerospace Ships Space Systems Command Operational Weather Satellite for Launch |date=6 February 2024 |access-date=8 February 2024 |archive-date=8 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208194901/https://www.ball.com/aerospace/newsroom/blogs/ball-aerospace-ships-wsf-m-satellite-for-launch |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
==WSF-M2==
WSF-M will be 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=USAF Weather Satellite Program in Disarray|url=http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/181430/us-air-force-weather-satellite-program-in-disarray.html|website=defense-aerospace.com|access-date=13 December 2017|date=23 February 2017}}</ref>
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = Weather System Follow-on Microwave-2
| names_list = WSF-M2
| image =
| image_caption =
| image_size = 300px
 
| mission_type = [[Space weather]]
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.<ref name="Ball"/>
| operator = [[United States Space Force|USSF]]
| COSPAR_ID =
| SATCAT =
| website =
| mission_duration =
 
| spacecraft =
| spacecraft_type =
| spacecraft_bus =
| manufacturer = [[Ball Aerospace & Technologies]]
| launch_mass =
| dimensions =
| power =
 
| launch_date = 2027<ref name=2024USSF/><ref name=BATC2024/>
| launch_rocket = [[Falcon 9 Block 5]]
| launch_site = [[Vandenberg Space Force Base|Vandenberg]]
| launch_contractor = [[SpaceX]]
 
| entered_service =
| deactivated =
| last_contact =
| decay_date =
 
| orbit_reference = [[Geocentric orbit]]
| orbit_regime = [[Sun-synchronous orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis =
| orbit_apoapsis =
| orbit_inclination =
| orbit_period =
| apsis = gee
 
| instruments = Microwave imaging radiometer
 
| insignia =
| insignia_caption =
| insignia_size = 200px
 
| programme = [[Weather System Follow-on Microwave program]]
| previous_mission = [[Weather System Follow-on Microwave Program|WSF-M1]]
| next_mission =
}}
 
== See also ==
*[[Defense Meteorological Satellite Program]]
*[[NPOESS]]
*[[Joint Polar Satellite System]]
*[[Defense Weather Satellite System]]
 
== References ==
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{{Reflist|30em}}
 
{{Orbital launches in 2024}}
{{Future spaceflights}}
 
[[Category:Weather satellites of the United States]]
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[[Category:2024 in spaceflight]]
[[Category:Military satellites of the United States]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 2024]]