The U.S. Navy has announced that it will extend the sharing of meteorological satellite data—originally scheduled to end on July 31, 2025—until fall 2026, following feedback from partner agencies.
Data collected from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), which is used by the Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC), will continue to be shared with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the fall of 2026. A Navy spokesperson stated that the decision aligns with the Department of Defense’s modernization goals and that the data will continue to flow until the satellites either fail or the program officially concludes in September 2026.
In service since 1962, the DMSP satellites provide valuable meteorological data by observing atmospheric cloud movements and weather phenomena on a global scale twice per day. The Pentagon had aimed to replace the aging system with the next-generation Weather System Follow-On Microwave (WSF-M) satellite, which was launched in 2024. The WSF-M offers enhanced capabilities, including analysis of sea ice and measurement of snow depth.
In alignment with this transition, NOAA had announced on July 1 that it would begin relying on data from the WSF-M and the Electro-Optical Weather System (EWS). However, due to the DMSP satellites still operating beyond their expected service life and ongoing internal demand for their data, the phase-out has been delayed.
According to The Washington Post, the latest extension will allow NOAA to continue using DMSP data through the 2025 hurricane season.
Although the DMSP program will be gradually phased out, NOAA’s global weather forecasting capabilities will remain uninterrupted. The agency will continue to gather data from a range of sources, including the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), ocean buoys, and ground-based radar systems.
