[12-14-07 – Satellite Today] The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F-18 Block 5D-3 spacecraft has been delivered to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lockheed Martin announced Dec. 14.
    The spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin, will be launched in July 2008. DMSP is used for strategic and tactical weather prediction to aid the U.S. military in planning operations at sea, on land and in the air. Equipped with a sophisticated sensor suite that can image visible and infrared cloud cover, the satellite collects specialized meteorological, oceanographic, and solar-geophysical information in all weather conditions. The DMSP constellation comprises two spacecraft in near-polar orbits, C3 (command, control and communications), user terminals and weather centers. The most recent launch of a DMSP spacecraft took place Nov. 4, 2006 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. That launch marked the second of the Block 5D-3 satellites.
    Including F-18, three DMSP satellites remain to be launched. Those not at Vandenberg being prepared for launch are maintained at Space Systems’ operations in Sunnyvale, Calif. for storage, functional testing and upgrading. The spacecraft are shipped to Vandenberg for launch when requested by the Air Force.