美空军已经开始研究发展下一代国防气象卫星(DMSP)。美国的国防气象卫星已经为军界和民界提供了二十余年的气象数据。这些数据在为军事卫星监视活动提供全球范围的气象、电离层和海洋预报方面具有特殊的价值。美空军现役气象卫星为“布洛克”5D-2型,重1455英磅,而一九六四年发射的用于同一目的的第一个空间飞行的密闭舱仅有三磅重。美空军空间分部希望能在一 The U.S. Air Force has begun researching and developing the next generation of Defense Meteorological Satellite (DMSP). The U.S. national defense weather satellite has provided more than two decades of meteorological data to the military and civilian communities. These data have particular value in providing global coverage of weather, ionosphere and ocean forecasts for military satellite surveillance activities. The U.S. Air Force’s active weather satellite is the Bullock Model 5D-2, weighing 1,455 pounds, while the first airtight capsule launched for the same purpose in 1964, was only three pounds in weight. The U.S. Air Force Space Division hopes to be at one