{
  "id": "dmsp",
  "name": "Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "space",
  "country": "USA",
  "category": "Military weather satellites",
  "status": "in-service",
  "fielded": 1965,
  "operators": [
    "USA"
  ],
  "summary": "Polar-orbiting military weather satellites operated since 1962; being replaced by WSF-M and EWS.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "orbit_regime",
      "v": "LEO (sun-synchronous polar)",
      "src": [
        "asf-dmsp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "altitude_km",
      "v": 848,
      "src": [
        "asf-dmsp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "About 527 miles"
    },
    {
      "k": "first_launch",
      "v": 1962,
      "src": [
        "asf-dmsp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "design_life_yr",
      "v": 5,
      "src": [
        "asf-dmsp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Block 5D-3"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 1154,
      "src": [
        "asf-dmsp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "2,545 lb"
    },
    {
      "k": "power_w",
      "v": [
        1200,
        1300
      ],
      "src": [
        "asf-dmsp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "program",
      "v": "Planned end of service 2026, possibly extended to 2028",
      "src": [
        "asf-dmsp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "on_orbit",
      "v": 5,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Payloads with current element sets in the public catalog, active or not. Block 5D-3 satellites (F15-F19) only."
    },
    {
      "k": "active_sats",
      "v": 3,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Count in the CelesTrak active satellites list, which estimates operational status."
    },
    {
      "k": "perigee_km",
      "v": [
        835,
        838
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "apogee_km",
      "v": 850,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "period_min",
      "v": 101.8,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "inclination_deg",
      "v": [
        98.74,
        98.98
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "satellite",
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from cited open sources"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Orbital elements from CelesTrak GP data (epoch about 2026-11-08): 5 catalogued, 3 active."
    }
  ],
  "satellites": [
    {
      "name": "DMSP 5D-3 F15 (USA 147)",
      "norad": 25991,
      "cospar": "1999-067A",
      "perigee_km": 827,
      "apogee_km": 840,
      "inclination_deg": 98.98,
      "period_min": 101.6,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": false,
      "owner": null,
      "launch": null
    },
    {
      "name": "DMSP 5D-3 F16 (USA 172)",
      "norad": 28054,
      "cospar": "2003-048A",
      "perigee_km": 838,
      "apogee_km": 850,
      "inclination_deg": 98.98,
      "period_min": 101.8,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2003-10-18"
    },
    {
      "name": "DMSP 5D-3 F17 (USA 191)",
      "norad": 29522,
      "cospar": "2006-050A",
      "perigee_km": 835,
      "apogee_km": 850,
      "inclination_deg": 98.74,
      "period_min": 101.8,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2006-11-04"
    },
    {
      "name": "DMSP 5D-3 F18 (USA 210)",
      "norad": 35951,
      "cospar": "2009-057A",
      "perigee_km": 835,
      "apogee_km": 850,
      "inclination_deg": 98.92,
      "period_min": 101.8,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "US",
      "launch": "2009-10-18"
    },
    {
      "name": "DMSP 5D-3 F19 (USA 249)",
      "norad": 39630,
      "cospar": "2014-015A",
      "perigee_km": 835,
      "apogee_km": 850,
      "inclination_deg": 98.79,
      "period_min": 101.8,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": false,
      "owner": null,
      "launch": null
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/dmsp.html",
  "sources": {
    "asf-dmsp": {
      "title": "Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (weapons and platforms entry)",
      "publisher": "Air & Space Forces Magazine",
      "url": "https://www.airandspaceforces.com/weapons/dmsp/",
      "published": null,
      "tier": 3,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    },
    "celestrak-gp": {
      "title": "NORAD GP element sets (current data)",
      "publisher": "CelesTrak (data from the U.S. Space Force 18th/19th Space Defense Squadron catalog)",
      "url": "https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/",
      "published": "2026-11-08",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}