NPOESS - Background

The Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES), operated by the Department of Commerce supports a broad range of environmental monitoring applications. The parallel polar program in the Department of Defense is the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) , which has been collecting weather data for U.S. military operations for almost four decades.

The National Performance Review, The National Performance Review, initiated during the Clinton Administration reported that converging the Department of Defense and Department of Commerce polar-orbiting systems would result in a higher performance integrated system.

The President endorsed this initiative, signing Space Technology Council Presidential Decision Directive NSTC-2, Convergence of U.S.-Polar Operational Environmental Satellite Systems"...establishing a single, converged, operational system [that] can reduce duplication of efforts in meeting common requirements while satisfying the unique requirements of the civil and national security communities."

NPOESS is administered by the Integrated Program Office (IPO).