Suomi NPP Satellite Starts Real-time High Data Rate Transmission

Equipment to measure air temperature, humidity and pressure are installed onboard the satellite - CrIS and ATMS, to collect data about vertical and horizontal distribution of ozone in atmosphere - OMPS and to study electromagnetic radiation, CERES. The 22-band radiometer VIIRS is of special interest for imaging of the Earth's surface, which has been designed with due account for MODIA sensors operation on Aqua and Terra satellites. This radiometer significantly surpasses the AVHRR sensors of NOAA series satellites. First images of the Earth's surface using VIIRS satellite were acquired on 21st November 2011.

The Suomi NPP spacecraft was launched on 28th October 2011 and is intended for acquiring operational information about the condition of the cloud cover and the Earth's surface, concentration of suspended particles and distribution of water vapour in atmosphere, monitoring of dangerous atmospheric events, forest fires, changes in landscape, ice situation in northern seas and for collection of other data. Initially the satellite was named NPP, but in late January NASA administration decided to rename it to Suomi NPP in honour of Verner Edward Suomi - the meteorologist from Wisconsin University who died in 1995 and who is widely regarded as the 'father of satellite-based meteorology'.