Weather Satellites: GOES, NOAA AVHRR, and More
Weather monitoring and forecasting were among the first civilian uses of satellite remote sensing. This began with TIROS-1 (Television and Infrared Observation Satellite – 1), the first true weather satellite, launched by the United States in 1960. Over the next five years, more weather satellites were sent into space, following near-polar orbits. These satellites provided repeated observations of weather patterns across the globe.