The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)said it will discontinue operation of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite after the Spring following the latest extension of its in-orbit life. The move has meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center protesting the decision.

According to a Jan. 10 report on WESH.com, experts from the National Hurricane Center claim the satellite has about a year of useful life left. The satellite offers meteorologists a look inside hurricanes and helps them determine how intense the storm actually is. A National Hurricane Center spokesman is quoted in the report as suggesting the flipping of the switch on the weather satellite is a ploy to get more money for the administration’s use.

The TRMM satellite was launched in 1997 for a three-year research mission. Its life was extended the first time for four years, originally scheduled for decommission last fall, but was extended once again to allow for observations of hurricanes to continue through the 2004 hurricane season. The latest extension though the spring comes at the request of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.