Weather Satellites

Sky Watchers: The 2025–2033 Boom in Weather & Climate Satellite Constellations

Over 5,400 Earth observation satellites are projected to be launched globally from 2024 to 2033, nearly triple the previous decade. NOAA’s GeoXO program will deploy at least three geostationary satellites (with options up to four more) to upgrade GOES-R and extend Western Hemisphere coverage, following a $2.27 billion contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2024. NOAA/NASA plan JPSS-3 for 2027 and JPSS-4 for 2032 to provide critical morning-orbit polar data for numerical weather models. Europe’s MTG and MetOp-SG programs will deliver six MTG satellites (four MTG-I imagers and two MTG-S sounders) and the MetOp-SG A1/B1 pair by 2025, with MTG

21 June 2025

Sky Spies: The Ultimate Guide to Weather Satellites Tracking Storms, Saving Lives, and Monitoring Climate

TIROS-1, launched by NASA on April 1, 1960, weighed about 120 kg and transmitted over 19,000 cloud images in 78 days, proving the concept of space-based weather observation. GOES-16 (GOES-East), launched in 2016 as part of the GOES-R series, delivers 0.5 km resolution imagery across 16 spectral bands and can scan as often as 30 seconds, and it carries the Geostationary Lightning Mapper. Meteosat-1, launched in 1977, was Europe’s first geostationary meteorological satellite at 0° longitude and introduced a water vapor channel for moisture tracking. Japan’s Himawari-8 (2014) and Himawari-9 (2016) operate at 140°E, providing high-resolution full-disk imagery every 10

19 June 2025

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