Meteorological and Environmental Satellite Observing Systems: From 50 Years Ago… Introduction

Perhaps Sir Arthur C. Clarke's most famous prediction (“Peacetime Uses for V2,” Wireless World, P58, February 1945) is his anticipation of, and subsequent proposal for, geosynchronous communications satellites. Verner Suomi's 1963 introduction of the Spin-Scan Cloud Camera (http://library.ssec.wisc.edu/SuomiWebsite/History.html), provided a second key for today's geosynchronous satellite imaging. From clouds, to weather, to the Earth System, 50 years of meteorological and environmental satellites have led to an amazing “orchestra” of observing systems.

With us over the course of this afternoon's session are the “fathers” of our field, the NASA, NOAA, EUMETSAT, and academic and industry pioneers who matured the first exciting weather remote sensing visions into today's reality. Please join us on this exciting journey, from 50 years ago…to 15 years ahead.