The NOAA-21 satellite is now operational, joining the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite and NOAA-20 as part of the Joint Polar Satellite System.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday that NOAA-21 will help improve the agency’s weather forecasts by providing global data for the numerical weather prediction models of the National Weather Service.
The spacecraft will also work to detect wildfires, volcanic eruptions, fog and Arctic sea ice with the use of its Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite payload.
NOAA-21 is the third of five planned satellites for JPSS. The program’s spacecraft are designed to have an operational lifespan of seven years.
The JPSS program is funded by NOAA.
