Pentagon trashes hurricane forecasting program

The Pentagon has decided to stop sending data from a key satellite program for hurricane forecasting, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Initially, transmissions of this data, collected and processed by U.S. Department of Defense satellites, were scheduled to cease on June 30. However, in the face of protests from the scientific community, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) obtained a one-month delay, pushing the measure back to the end of July.

The new notice published by NOAA on Monday justifies the shutdown on the grounds of cyber security.

Scientists have warned that the loss of access to this data for NOAA and NASA experts could set back hurricane forecasting capabilities “by decades”, reports The Guardian.

This information comes from three satellites co-managed by the Pentagon and NOAA. These satellites provide unique observations, including microwave images that allow us to see inside cyclones, where other systems only capture the cloud surface.

What’s more, these satellites are essential for observing thunderstorm activity at night, and for pinpointing the centers of tropical depressions.

In addition to monitoring hurricanes, this data is also used by the scientific community to study the evolution of forest fires and sea ice.

The new NOAA notice explains that the US Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) intended to disable the DMSP ingestion system at Monterey to mitigate a significant risk to the high-performance computing environment.

If the satellite program ends on July 31, the data will no longer be available to meteorologists during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs until November 30.