
NOAA Satellites

Each satellite is equipped with instruments that provide pictures with profiles of temperature, atmospheric humidity and land and ocean surface temperature. To do this, the satellites carry the following instruments:
- A very high-resolution advanced radiometer
- A high-resolution infrared radiometer
- An advanced microwave sounding unit
- A solar back-scatter ultraviolet radiometer
- A microwave humidity sounder
- An operational TIROS Advanced vertical sounder
- An ARGOS data collection system
- A satellite-assisted search and rescue tracking system designed to detect and locate emergency locator beacons and emergency position indicating radio beacons on the 121.5 MHz, 243 MHz and 406.05 MHz frequencies.
- A communications system comprising 14 antennas, 9 transmitters and receivers using the VHF (30 MHz to 300 MHz), UHF (300 MHz to 3 GHz), L (1 to 2 GHz) and S (2 to 4 GHz) bands.


The pictures transmitted consist of two black and white photographs. When the area photographed by the satellite is lit by the sun, the satellite uses the high-resolution radiometer and the infrared radiometer to transmit the images. When the area photographed by the satellite is in shadow, the satellite uses two different infrared radiometers.