Tom Nardi, writing for Hackaday, disclosed that many of NOAA’s polar-orbiting environmental satellites are no longer recommended for use because they are ageing and becoming less reliable.
Nardi suggests that when the satellites ‘give up’, there are a myriad of other options available if you want to access your own satellite weather imagery.
These include the Russian Meteor-M satellites which have similar specifications to those operated by NOAA, and improved versions of these are due to be launched.
Another option is the Metop-B and -C satellites, which will be operational until 2027 and offer a wide bandwidth, or the US GOES satellites which should remain operational for the next few years at least.
Nardi also mentions other types of satellite that offer alternative data, for those whose interests lie outside regular weather updates.
