Status of the future microwave tropical cyclone monitoring constellation

Microwave sensors (sounders, imagers, and radars) play a crucial role in the operational meteorological satellite reconnaissance effort due to their ability to mitigate the majority of the cloud obscuration that inherently limits visible/IR sensors. Several very important changes are occurring simultaneously that will directly impact the warning center's operational mission: 1) the health of the current Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) sensors, 2) the “fly-out” of the remaining SSMIS sensors on F-19 and F-20, 3) the health of existing and the plans for new R&D microwave sensors, and 4) launch and near real-time access to foreign microwave sensors. The current “golden age” of microwave remote sensing has been a boon to operational center fixing, since microwave fixes now represent a large portion of the near real-time total and has benefited by the stability offered by the AMSU/MHS sounders on both US and EUMETSAT operational platforms. This percentage will fall in the near future due to multiple factors: a) old SSM/I sensors and platforms become nonoperational, b) old R&D sensors failing, c) SSMIS and their DMSP platforms launches are delayed to help fill potential gaps due to NPOESS launch schedules, and d) research sensors will not begin anew till the 2012-2013 timeframe. A major unknown is the fidelity of foreign microwave imager sensors where unknown data access and latency issues are currently unresolved. In addition, access to foreign scatterometers and updates on new scatterometer plans will be highlighted as available. This presentation will include the best guess timeline for all microwave imagers, sounders, and scatterometers likely to become accessible for operational and scientific study utilization.