Will the Weather Outside be Frightful?

    Nov. 9, 2006
    Notoriously inaccurate weather predictions have made many people jaded: We take our umbrellas and rain gear and we really need our sunglasses and shorts!

    Julie Kalista
    Online Editor

    Has more technology really helped predict the weather? No matter how you feel, perhaps the Defense Meteorlogical Satellite Program (DMSP) will help. An F-17 spacecraft aboard a Delta IV rocket launched on Saturday November 4, 2006 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. This satellite went into near-polar orbit carrying sensors designed for monitoring meteorological, oceanographic, and solar-geophysical factors for military use. The satellite also provides space environmental data to assist with high-frequency communications, over-the-horizon radar, and re-entry tasks. Since this satellite is designed to predict the forecast for military tasks maybe it will be more accurate in weather prediction?



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