49.87 (+0.70) 
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Hurricane Irene
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The Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) will provide advanced imaging and radiometric capabilities aboard the NPOESS Preparatory Project spacecraft and future next-generation weather satellites.
NPP is a bridge mission between the current polar weather satellite system and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Joint Polar Satellite System. Raytheon is on contract to build two more VIIRS instruments, one for JPSS and one for the Air Force’s Defense Weather Satellite System.
VIIRS will combine the radiometric accuracy of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) currently being flown on the NOAA polar orbiters with the high spatial resolution (0.65 km) of the Operational Linescan System (OLS) flown on DMSP. A key part of the weather forecasting data chain, VIIRS will provide highly detailed imagery of global storm patterns. VIIRS’ multi-band imaging capabilities also support the acquisition of high-resolution atmospheric imagery for a variety of other applied products including detection of fires, smoke, and atmospheric aerosols. It will provide imagery of clouds under sunlit conditions in about a dozen visible and infrared bands, with nighttime applications as well.
By providing for more accurate, more timely weather forecasting, VIIRS will help save lives and reduce costs associated with severe storm events in the U.S. and around the world.
