DMSP-5D3 F19 (USA 249)

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Description:

• DMSP-5D3 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Block 5D3) is the eleventh and most recent version of the military meteorological satellites of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program.
• DMSP 5D-3 F19 (USA 249) is a global weather observatory for the U.S. armed forces. The craft carries a sophisticated suite of weather instruments to observe virtually the entire planet twice daily. Data from DMSP satellites is used to create global weather forecasts that military commanders and strategic planners rely upon. The satellites can track weather systems by visible and infrared cloud-cover imagery, day and night, plus monitor ice and snow coverage, pollution and fires. The primary sensor, one of seven aboard, is the Operational Linescan Sensor, which collects visible and infrared cloud pictures in 1,800-mile [2,897-km] swaths covering the globe. The microwave sounder provides storm intensity measurements.

Mission details:

• A ULA/Lockheed Martin Atlas V model 401, flight AV-044, took off from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 3-East on Apr 3, 2014 to place the penultimate US Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program payload in orbit. The DMSP Block 5D-3 S-19 spacecraft was built by RCA/East Windsor, New Jersey and transferred to Lockheed Martin/Sunnyvale after closure of the former facility. It is the 19th of the Block 5D subseries to be launched, and as such has the flight name Block 5D-3 F-19. It is also the 53rd DMSP satellite produced.
  DMSP 50 (Block 5D-3 S-16) will be the final launch, to be designated F-20. The last-produced, DMSP 54 (Block 5D-3 S-20) was launched as F-16 in 2003.
• ULA has confirmed that the AV-044 Centaur stage reignited to go into heliocentric orbit, like that for the previous DMSP launch. Two debris objects, 2014-015C and D, were cataloged in 844 x 848 km x 98.9 deg orbits. The DMSP satellite's solar array did not completely deploy, but the satellite is expected to enter service nonetheless.