Defense Meteorological Satellite Program The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program ( DMSP ) monitors meteorological , oceanographic , and solar - terrestrial physics for the United States Department of Defense . The program is managed by the Air Force Space Command with on - orbit operations provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . The ( originally classified ) mission of the satellites was revealed in March 1973 . They provide cloud cover imagery from polar orbit s that are sun - synchronous at nominal altitude of 450 nautical miles ( 830 km ) . History . During the 1960s , one of most important projects the United States civil space program was involved in and dealt with meteorology and weather forecasting . Unbeknownst to many , the U . S . military services were also starting up a weather satellite program . This program , the DMSP , would relay important weather and climate data to the military for more effective operations . From the onset of the DMSP program , knowledge of its existence was limited to " need - to - know " personnel . The United States Congress had assigned a substantial budget towards the civil weather satellite program ; if knowledge of a second military program came out , it would have been hard for the military to justify it . Initial operations of early DMSP systems provided radio return of cloud - cover imagery for planning of U . S . high - resolution photographic reconnaissance and surveillance missions , which utilized film - return systems . DMSP satellites operated in a sun - synchronous orbit ; passing over the north and south poles , the satellite would see different strips of the Earth at the same local time each day . The DMSP satellites had periods of roughly 101 minutes , so they would orbit the Earth 14 . 3 times in 24 hours . This period combined with the sun - synchronous orbit would have the satellite pass over the whole surface of the planet twice a day . The images acquired were relayed to the Earth and received by two command and readout stations established at retired Nike missile sites located near Fairchild Air Force Base , Washington and Loring Air Force Base , Maine . From these sites , the images were then sent to Air Force Global Weather Central ( AFGWC ) located at Offutt Air Force Base , Nebraska . Images would then be processed , forming a mosaic representing the cloud patterns that were observed from the orbiting satellites . Meteorologists could then provide flight crew s and other commanders with up - to - date observations for their particular missions . Further advancements enabled data to be collected in the visual spectrum down to a half - moonlit scene . Infrared processing enabled night viewing . Other enhancements increased on - board processing ; this includes multiple on - board computers and expanded power requirements . Now in its fifth decade of service , the DMSP has proven itself to be a valuable tool in scheduling and protecting military operations on land , at sea , and in the air . In December 1972 , DMSP data was declassified and made available to the civil scientific community . On June 1 , 1998 the control and maintenance of the satellites were transferred to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) in order to reduce costs . Launch history . DSMP was initially known as Program 35 . The first successful launch of a Program 35 spacecraft used a Scout X - 2 rocket lifting off from Point Arguello near Vandenberg Air Force Base ( VAFB ) on August 23 , 1962 . This was P35 - 2 ; the earlier P35 - 1 launch on May 24 , 1962 had failed to reach orbit . All five Program 35 launch attempts using Scout rockets , including the two successes , were made from VAFB SLC - 5 . Other early launches were conducted using Thor launch vehicles , with Altair or Burner II upper stages . Program 35 had by this time been renamed the Data Acquisition and Processing Program , and the DAPP acronym is sometimes used for these satellites . Eight satellites were launched using Atlas E launch vehicles between 1982 and 1995 . Three were launched aboard Titan II vehicles between 1997 and 2003 . One has been launched on a Delta IV rocket . The most recent launch of the DMSP F18 satellite occurred on October 18 , 2009 , from Vandenberg aboard an Atlas V 401 . United Launch Alliance used the DMSP - 18 mission to flight - test centrifugal propellant settling as a cryogenic fuel management technique that might be used in future propellant depot s . Block 1 . The DSAP - 1 ( Defense Satellite Application Program Block 1 ) satellites series , also known as P - 35 , was the first series of military meteorological satellites of the USA . The project designation P - 698BH was used concurrently with P - 35 from June 1962 and P - 35 became P - 417 in October 1962 . The designation DMSP - 1 ( Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Block 1 ) was retroactively assigned to these satellites . Block 2 . The DSAP - 2 ( Defense Satellite Application Program Block 2 ) satellites series consisted of three modified DSAP - 1 satellites , retaining the shape and dimension of the earlier series , featuring improved infrared radiometers . The designation DMSP - 2 ( Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Block 2 ) was retroactively assigned to these satellites . Block 3 . The single DSAP - 3 ( Defense Satellite Application Program Block 3 ) was a modified DSAP - 2 satellite to provide experimental tactical access to weather data , for which a tactical readout station was built near Saigon . The designation DMSP - 3 ( Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Block 3 ) was retroactively assigned to this satellite . Block 5D . The Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager ( SSULI ) launched on DMSP F - 18 . SSULI was developed by the Spacecraft Engineering Department and Space Science Division of the Naval Research Laboratory . SSULI observations yield altitude profiles of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere over the wavelength range of 80 nanometers ( nm ) to 170 nm . These observations will be used by the Air Force Weather Agency . Two additional DMSP satellites remain to be launched .