The SSMIS system is part of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), which is operated by NOAA on behalf of the Defense Department's Space Force, which has satellite control authority. ????????2025  

While there is other microwave data available to forecasters, SSMIS accounts for almost half of all microwave instruments, which would dramatically reduce the data available to forecasters. In a worst-case scenario, forecasters say it could lead to missing a tropical system that intensifies overnight, which would not be apparent from using infrared

The SSMIS data not only allows forecasters to better monitor the current progress of a tropical cyclone but also to identify the center of the system for weather forecast models. ?????????????  

Other weather satellites use visible and infrared imagery, which can only capture surface-level details of the cloud tops rather than what's happening inside the cyclone. These satellites are also ineffective after sunset when it's too dark to see and when direct observations over open water are scarce. Forecasters, therefore, rely on the data coll

The tool offers forecasters the ability to examine the inner workings of active tropical systems and understand their behavior. Specifically, SSMIS uses microwaves to penetrate clouds and obtain a clearer picture of the inner structure of a tropical cyclone, including its exact center. ????????2025