Overview

• The Defense Department and U.S. Navy will continue sharing microwave observations from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program sensors until those instruments fail or the program ends in September 2026.
• This decision overturns an earlier plan to end sharing by June 30 and NASA’s successful push for a one-month extension to address cybersecurity risks.
• Forecasters warn that these microwave data provide x-ray-like views of storm structure essential for monitoring rapid intensification and reducing the risk of undetected overnight strengthening.
• Officials met departmental modernization directives by updating processing protocols rather than cutting service, ensuring DoD IT requirements and operational continuity were both satisfied.
• Amateur satellite enthusiasts proved a contingency by demonstrating how to receive and decode the raw DMSP signals with off-the-shelf equipment and open-source software.