Weather System Follow-on Microwave Program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:56, 8 August 2025

Revision as of 03:57, 8 August 2025

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{{Use American English|date=February 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = Weather System Follow-on Microwave-1

| names_list = WSF-M1

| image =

| image_caption =

| image_size = 300px

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>

| mission_type = [[Space weather]]

| operator = [[United States Space Force|USSF]]

| COSPAR_ID =

| SATCAT =

| website =

| mission_duration =

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>

| spacecraft =

| spacecraft_type =

| spacecraft_bus =

| manufacturer = [[Ball Aerospace & Technologies]]

| launch_mass =

| dimensions =

| power =

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"/>

| 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]]

| 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-19]]

| next_mission = [[WSF-M2]]

}}

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-M1==