The Joint Polar Satellite System and the International Constellation: Supporting Environmental Applications Across the Globe

Weather satellites are vital tools for monitoring the global environment. They provide data that is used to deliver essential predictions and warnings, and to save lives. Space agencies have for years recognized the importance of sharing remotely sensed data for weather analysis and forecasting, climate analysis, and monitoring hazards worldwide. As a result, they operate under a policy of freely shared data. The U.S. Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), a contributor to the global observing system, provides key observables that are crucial to obtaining continuity, global coverage, and filling data gaps. JPSS collaborates with national and international partners through the WMO and engages with multilateral organizations such as CGMS, GEO, and CEOS to develop requirements, establish best practices for combining measurements from multiple satellite sensors, and develop capabilities that enable communities worldwide to develop local solutions to address the challenges related to global atmospheric processes and their complex interactions.