The '''Weather System Follow-on Microwave''' (WSF-M) Satellitesatellite is the [[United States Department of Defense|United States Department of Defense's]] next-generation operational [[environmental satellite]] system. WSF-M will be a [[Low Earth orbit|Low Earth Orbit]] (LEO) satellite with a passive [[microwave imaging]] radiometer instrument and hosted furnished Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor.<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/|website=satellitetoday.com|publisher=Satellite Today|access-date=13 December 2017|date=30 November 2017}}</ref> The [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] 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|date=March 6, 2019|title=Are small satellites the solution for space weather monitoring?|url=https://spacenews.com/are-small-satellites-the-solution-for-space-weather-monitoring/|publisher=SpaceNews|access-date=2019-10-13}}</ref> WSF-M is currently contracted for launch in 2023.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bourassa|first1=M.A.|last2=Meissner|first2=T.|last3=Cerovecki|first3=I.|display-authors=1|url=https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00443/full |title=Remotely Sensed Winds and Wind Stresses for Marine Forecasting and Ocean Modeling|journal=Frontiers in Marine Science|volume=6|page=443|date=23 August 2019|access-date=3 January 2020 |doi=10.3389/fmars.2019.00443|quote=The first of two planned sensors will launch in 2023.|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Foust|first=Jeff|url=https://spacenews.com/gao-takes-weather-satellite-program-off-watch-list/|title=GAO takes weather satellite program off watch list|publisher=SpaceNews|date=8 March 2019|access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
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 pursued 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>
