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First Weather System Follow-on (WSF) satellite. WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) is the next-generation operational environmental satellite system for the Department of Defense (DoD), to replace the microwave wavelength weather forecasting capabilities of the DMSP satellites. Ball Aerospace has been selected in late November 2017 to be the prime contractor for 2 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) weather satellites with a passive microwave imaging radiometer instrument and hosted Government furnished energetic charged particle (ECP) sensor space weather payload developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The radiometer leverages the Ball-built Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument. This mission will improve weather forecasting over maritime regions by taking global measurements of the atmosphere and ocean surface.
Limiting rule: No flight through cumulus cloud with top at or above the freezing level.
max cloud-top 6131 m above freezing 3589 m (100% cover in 10 nmi) · no GLM flashes within 25 nmi / 30 min, likely cirrus / stratiform ice rather than cumulus · max-top 6131 m, mean 5019 m, 100% cover, freezing 3589 m · 7.1 ≥ 6 ft significant wave height
Falcon 9 Block 5 booster.