U.S., Europe take steps to advance polar satellite cooperation(Forwarded)

NOAA
Washington, D.C.

Media Contact:
John Leslie, NOAA Satellite and Information Service
(301) 457-5005

NOAA 2006-R301

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2/22/06

U.S., EUROPE TAKE STEPS TO ADVANCE POLAR SATELLITE COOPERATION

NOAA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological
Satellites today announced they have signed a Data Denial Implementation
Plan, which secures the continued flow of real-time meteorological
satellite data from NOAA-provided instruments onboard EUMETSAT's MetOp
spacecraft to public duty users in the United States and EUMETSAT Member
States during episodes that might otherwise require data denial. Data
denial means real-time data from U.S. environmental instruments can be
denied during periods of crisis or war.

The agreement provides the necessary steps for data denial if NOAA makes
the request. One important feature of the DDIP is that it contains lists
of public duty users in the United States and in EUMETSAT Member and
Cooperating States who will be allowed to continue receiving real-time
access to U.S. instrument data during episodes of data denial. No
restriction will apply to the availability of data more than 3 hours old.

NOAA and EUMETSAT also agreed to allow for EUMETSAT's repair of a sounding
instrument that was damaged in a 2003 incident involving NOAA's N-Prime
satellite. In exchange, NOAA will extend pre-launch support of an imager
instrument designated for integration on EUMETSAT's MetOp-3 satellite.

Together, EUMETSAT's MetOp and NOAA's polar satellites will provide global
data for improving forecasts of severe weather and disaster mitigation and
monitoring the environment. The MetOp satellite series consists of three
spacecraft, which are designed to provide operational data from a polar
orbit until 2020. The MetOp satellites, flying in a morning orbit of the
globe, will carry key NOAA instruments. NOAA's polar-orbiting satellites,
the current NOAA-18 and the future NOAA-N Prime, carry a EUMETSAT
instrument in an afternoon orbit.

NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of
the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security
and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and
climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our
nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth
Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal
partners and 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that is
as integrated as the planet it observes.

The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological
Satellites, is an intergovernmental organisation that establishes and
maintains operational meteorological satellites for 19 European States
(Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland,
Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom). EUMETSAT has signed
11 Cooperating State Agreements. Those with Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and the Czech Republic have
entered into force whereas the Agreements with Serbia and Montenegro and
Iceland are to be ratified in the near future.

Relevant Web Sites:

* NOAA
http://www.noaa.gov
* NOAA Satellite and Information Service
http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories...-in-orbit2.jpg
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NOAA polar satellite orbiting the Earth. Credit: NOAA