The U.S. Air Force and its partners have decommissioned a satellite that provided global weather data for over two decades.
The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Flight 14 satellite performed more than 118K orbits throughout its operational life before the decommissioning on Feb. 11, Los Angeles Air Force Base said Thursday.
USAF's Space and Missiles Systems Center helped the U.S. Space Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conduct end of life operations at NOAA's Maryland-based Satellite Operations Facility.
DMSP Flight 14 leaves four remaining DMSP satellites that will continue data-gathering operations.
SMC is now contracted with Ball Aerospace for the development of technologies under the Weather System Follow-on – Microwave program, a new satellite effort that will also gather data on ocean surface wind.
WSF-M is scheduled to begin critical design review activities by the last week of March.
