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Lockheed Martin’s Defense Weather Satellite Prepares for 2014 Launch

By Tai Nichols | August 6, 2013
      The DMSP F19 being transported to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
      Image credit: USAF

      [Satellite TODAY 08-06-13] The U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have successfully delivered the 19th Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), block 5D3, weather satellite to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Here, the spacecraft will be prepared for launch onboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 launch vehicle.

      DMSP F19 will undergo final launch preparations, encapsulation and transport to Space Launch Complex 3 East at Vandenberg Air Force Base over the next 250 days and is on track for a March 2014 launch.

           The DMSP satellites have fulfilled the military’s most critical requirements for global atmospheric, oceanic, terrestrial and space environment information. With these satellites, military users find, track and forecast weather systems over remote and hostile areas for deployed troops. In addition, DMSP supports an extensive range of civil users with sensing capabilities not provided by U.S. civil and foreign weather satellite systems.