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NOAA-M Arrives at Launch Site The latest polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), called NOAA-M, arrived by C5A military cargo aircraft at the Western Range at Vandenburg Air Force Base on April 25. NOAA-M will undergo final testing and launch processing prior to its scheduled launch by a Titan II launch vehicle on June 24. The polar-orbiting satellites monitor the entire Earth, tracking atmospheric variables and providing atmospheric data and cloud images. They track global weather patterns affecting the weather and climate of the United States. The satellites provide visible and infrared radiometer data for imaging purposes, radiation measurements, and temperature and moisture profiles. The polar orbiters' ultraviolet sensors also measure ozone levels in the atmosphere and are able to detect the ozone hole over Antarctica from mid-September to mid-November. Each day, these satellites send global measurements to NOAA's Command and Data Acquisition station computers, adding vital information to forecasting models, especially over the oceans, where conventional data is lacking. Once on orbit NOAA-M will be renamed NOAA-17 and will provide measurements of the earth's surface and atmosphere that will be input into NOAA's weather forecasting models and used for other environmental studies. For more information
about NOAA-M and the polar orbiting satellites, see the following
web sites: http://poes.gsfc.nasa.gov
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