The U.S. Air Force plans to utilize satellite data from international partners as part of a weather data strategy the service branch has submitted to Congress, Space News reported Monday.Mike Gruss writes the Defense Department will use data from satellites operated by South Korea, India and Europe’s Eumetsat meteorological satellite organization through a seven-year period under the Air Force strategy.
Air Force deputy space undersecretary Winston Beauchamp told reporters in a briefing that weather data is one of the “less sensitive” missions in terms of sharing, according to Space News.
Beauchamp added the support of allies eliminates the need for commercial data services.
The Air Force expects the current Defense Meteorological Satellite Program to be operational until 2021 and the service branch aims to launch its Weather Satellite Follow-on program in 2022 which will deploy a replacement satellite every five years, Gruss reports.
