The NOAA NESDIS Office of Satellite Operations (OSO) manages and directs the operation of NOAA's satellites and the acquisition of remotely sensed data. The Office has operational responsibility for the Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC) at Suitland, MD and the Command and Data Acquisition (CDA) facilities at Wallops, VA and Fairbanks, AK to command and control the satellites, to track the satellites, and to acquire their data.

The Office supports the launch, activation, and evaluation of new satellites and the in-depth assessment of satellite and ground systems anomalies. It prepares plans and procedures for responding to satellite and ground anomalies, and establishes and coordinates the schedules for satellite operation and data acquisition to meet users' needs. The Office also evaluates the technical performance of the satellites and maintains current information and future prediction on satellite orbits and attitudes. It evaluates the effectiveness of the operational facilities and procedures in terms of the quality, quantity, coverage, and timeliness of the data acquired.