Space Force cancels GOES satellites as NOAA warns of hurricane blind spots

The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) has operated since the 1960s, providing military and civilian weather data for over 60 years.

In late Jun. 2025, the Department of Defense announced it would stop processing and sharing DMSP data by Jun. 30 (later extended to Jul. 31), coinciding with peak hurricane season and record‐low Arctic sea ice.

The Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) aboard DMSP satellites uses microwave radiation to penetrate cloud cover and reveal a hurricane’s internal structure, enabling early detection of rapid intensification (wind increases of 35+ mph in 24 hours).

DMSP satellites supply roughly 50% of all microwave data used for hurricane forecasting and have been the primary real‐time source of Arctic sea ice monitoring, which affects shipping routes and national security planning.

The Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) processes raw DMSP data and distributes it to civilian forecasters, including the National Hurricane Center.

Project 2025 calls for dismantling and downsizing NOAA’s climate research functions. The abrupt DMSP termination aligns with this broader pattern of budget cuts, research defunding, and elimination of climate science infrastructure.

Hurricane experts from NOAA and independent researchers have warned that losing DMSP data with only five days’ notice undermines public safety, disproportionately impacts low‐income and minority communities, and sets a precedent for military agencies to unilaterally cut off civilian data.

Although the newer WSF-M satellite launched in Apr. 2024 can replace DMSP’s microwave capability, its data have not been shared with civilian forecasters. Scientists must otherwise rely on less‐frequent Japanese satellite measurements, which require extra calibration.