Earth-monitoring satellite completes first year of observations

A monitoring satellite, launched in a partnership between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recently finished its first year in orbit where it proved reliable, according to NASA press release.

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite orbits the earth 14 times a day analyzing atmospheric and oceanic conditions.  It relays information once an orbit to a ground station in Svalbard, Norway.

NOAA uses the satellite for weather forecasts, climate assessments and ecosystem assessments.

The satellite uses several instruments to analyze the Earth, including an ozone mapper and profiler, microwave sounder, infrared sounder, radiometer suite and a clouds and the Earth’s radiant energy system.

Image:  A season-long composite of ocean chlorophyll concentrations derived from visible radiometric measurements made by an instrument on Suomi NPP. (Credit: NASA/Suomi NPP/Norman Kuring)