The role of environmental satellites in the WMO Space Programme (Invited Presentation)

The space-based component of the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) World Weather Watch (WWW) Global Observing System (GOS) is comprised of three constellations: operational meteorological polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites, and environmental Research and Development (R&D) satellites. This paper describes the current status of the space-based component of the GOS, including access by WMO Members to new data streams from R&D space missions and their impacts for operational use. This paper also discusses the establishment by the Fourteenth WMO Congress in May 2003 of a new major cross-cutting WMO Programme, the WMO Space Programme. The main purpose of the WMO Space Programme is to coordinate environmental satellite matters and activities throughout all WMO Programmes and to give guidance to these and other multi-sponsored programmes on the potential of remote sensing techniques in meteorology, hydrology and related disciplines, as well as in their applications. In response to the overall guidance given to the WMO Space Programme by the WMO Sixth Long Term Plan, an Implementation Plan was developed to provide a more detailed description of activities by the WMO Secretariat, WMO Members and operational and Research and Development (R&D) satellite operators. This paper highlights those activities including matters related to the increased use of operational and R&D satellite data streams, regional education and training seminars and regional workshops to identify those R&D data streams that should transition into operational satellite systems. The paper will also review activities related to the present and potential future configurations of the space-based component of the GOS. Future configurations will consider both near and long-term requirements as well as anticipated capabilities.