Uploaded November 2022 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the support of their partners at NASA, will launch the JPSS-2 satellite, the third in the Joint Polar Satellite System series.
Flying as a secondary payload is NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, an experimental demonstration of an inflatable heat shield technology that could one day help land humans on Mars.
Join us for a front-row seat of the launch, as we take you inside the JPSS-2 satellite.
Learn more: noaa.gov/jpss2-launch
This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the support of their partners at NASA, will launch the JPSS-2 satellite, the third in the Joint Polar Satellite System series.
Flying as a secondary payload is NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, an experimental demonstration of an inflatable heat shield technology that could one day help land humans on Mars.
Join us for a front-row seat of the launch, as we take you inside the JPSS-2 satellite.
Learn more: noaa.gov/jpss2-launch

![Atmospheric Rivers Hit West Coast
From late Dec. 2022 into Jan. 2023, a series of nine “atmospheric rivers” dumped a record amount of rain and mountain snow across the western U.S. and Canada, hitting California particularly hard. More than 32 trillion gallons of water rained down across the state alone, and the moisture also pushed into much of the Intermountain West.
Read more:
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/atmospheric-rivers-hit-west-coast
Video Credits:
NOAA
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
CIRA
Additional Imagery Provided by:
CIMSS
NASA’s SVS: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4939
NOAA’s Visualization Lab
NOAA STAR
Music Credit:
“Never Again,” by Benjamin W Walker [PRS]; Music House (International) Ltd; Universal Production Music Atmospheric Rivers Hit West Coast](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9Lz6HK5j0Ko/mqdefault.jpg)
![Earth from Orbit: 2022 Hurricane Season Begins
The 2022 hurricane season is officially underway. The eastern Pacific hurricane season began on May 15, while June 1 marked the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season.
NOAA satellites monitored the first named storms in each hurricane basin. Tropical Storm Agatha formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean on May 28 and rapidly intensified into a Category 2 hurricane with peak winds of 110 miles per hour by the next day. Remnants from Agatha helped fuel what would become the Atlantic’s first tropical cyclone, Alex, that affected south Florida at the beginning of June.
Read more:
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/earth-orbit-2022-hurricane-season-begins
Credits:
NOAA
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
CIRA
Music:
“Abandoned Agony,” by William Charles Baker [PRS]; Ninja Tune Production Music; Universal Production Music Earth from Orbit: 2022 Hurricane Season Begins](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9USNnBBFWbE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Earth from Orbit: GOES-T Arrives at Kennedy Space Center
NOAA’s GOES-T, the third in the GOES-R Series of advanced weather observing and environmental monitoring satellites, arrived in Florida on Nov. 10, 2021 to begin final preparations for launch, which is currently scheduled for March 1, 2022.Learn more about what it takes to transport a satellite: https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaas-goes-t-satellite-arrives-florida-ahead-of-2022-launch Stay informed as GOES-T moves closer to launch by visiting the GOES-T launch page:https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/next-generation-satellites/goes-t-launch
Learn more:
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Credits:
NOAA
NASA
CIRA
Additional b-roll provided by Lockheed Martin and SUVI imagery courtesy of CIRES
Music:
“We Learn,” by Andrew Michael Britton [PRS]; Atmosphere; Universal Production Music Earth from Orbit: GOES-T Arrives at Kennedy Space Center](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9ZpP9gNJteM/mqdefault.jpg)

![Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Blankets U.S.
NOAA satellites are monitoring more than 400 fires currently burning across Canada after unusually hot and dry weather triggered an early and intense start to the wildfire season. Canada is on track to have the worst wildfire season on record.
Earlier last month, smoke from wildfires burning in Alberta and British Columbia produced a smoky haze that moved across New England. Last week, smoke from wildfires in Nova Scotia was seen moving over the area as well. This week, even more thick smoke from fires burning in Ontario and Quebec is blowing over the eastern and central U.S. much lower to the surface, triggering air quality alerts throughout those regions.
Read more:
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/smoke-canadian-wildfires-blankets-us
Credits:
NOAA
NASA
CIRA
Music:
“Computer Age” by Timo Marc Baker [PRS]; BBC Production Music; Universal Production Music Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Blankets U.S.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9iEamkj0C-8/mqdefault.jpg)
![NOAA Satellites Help Us Prepare for Severe Weather
Spring is on the horizon. With the promise of warmer temperatures and blooming flowers also comes an increased risk of severe weather. NOAA’s geostationary (GOES East and GOES West) and polar-orbiting (Suomi NPP and NOAA-20) satellites monitor the changing weather patterns that come with the transition from winter to spring.
As the potential for severe thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes, dangerous lightning, and flooding increases, NOAA satellites work together to provide critical data for weather forecasts and severe weather warnings. They also aid emergency responders to help keep our communities safe.
March 6–10, 2023, is Severe Weather Preparedness Week.
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Read more:
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaa-satellites-help-us-prepare-severe-weather
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Credits:
NOAA
NASA
CIRA
Flood map imagery courtesy of SSEC.
Music:
“Supermoon” by Leo Tate [PRS]; Freshworx Music Limited; Universal Production Music NOAA Satellites Help Us Prepare for Severe Weather](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9r0tnOhwDXE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Earth from Orbit: Rope Clouds
On Jan. 25, 2023, NOAA satellites captured an unusually long and long-lived rope cloud produced by a cold front over the Gulf of Mexico.
A rope cloud is a very long, narrow, rope-like band of cumulus cloud formations. Generally associated with a cold front or a land-sea breeze front, rope clouds tend to form at the dividing line between cooler and warmer air.
Read more:
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/earth-orbit-rope-clouds
Video Credits:
NOAA
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
CIRA
Music: “The Wilderness” by Benjamin James Parsons [PRS]; Sound Pocket Music; Universal Production Music Earth from Orbit: Rope Clouds](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AXiCamQHuys/mqdefault.jpg)

![Earth from Orbit: When Lightning Strikes
Lightning is a major public safety threat. It can strike at any time, but it is most common in the summer months. Lightning kills about 20 people each year in the United States and hundreds more are injured.
Recent severe thunderstorm activity has highlighted the dangers associated with lightning strikes. In the span of less than a week in early August, lightning led to several injuries and fatalities.
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Credits:
NOAA
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
CIRA
Additional imagery courtesy of CIMSS
Music: “Aurora Dance” by Ervin Trofimov [SACEM]; Universal Production Music Earth from Orbit: When Lightning Strikes](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AvzDc-zqd-I/mqdefault.jpg)
