🛰️Pentagon Terminates Critical Hurricane and Climate Data in Project 2025 Attack on Science
National Security
Environment
Public Policy
The Pentagon just pulled the plug on satellites that help forecasters see inside hurricanes—right in the middle of hurricane season. With five days notice, they cut off data that tracks how storms rapidly strengthen overnight, the kind of intelligence that prevents "sunrise surprises" where communities wake up facing killer hurricanes they weren't warned about.
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Why This Matters
Your family will get less hurricane warning:
These satellites are like X-ray machines for storms—they're the only way forecasters can tell if a hurricane is about to explode in strength while you're sleeping, but now that early warning system is gone
This isn't about cybersecurity, it's about killing climate science:
Project 2025 literally calls for dismantling NOAA as a driver of "climate change alarm"—cutting off hurricane data is just the latest move in Trump's war against any science that threatens oil company profits
40 years of weather infrastructure destroyed overnight:
Scientists got five days to replace four decades of critical data after Trump already fired hundreds of NOAA meteorologists—it's like burning down libraries and claiming you're improving literacy
When presidents can destroy public safety systems on a whim:
No vote, no hearing, no explanation—just Trump appointees deciding that protecting fossil fuel interests matters more than protecting your family from hurricanes
America is going blind while enemies watch everything:
The same satellites track melting Arctic ice that affects shipping routes and military strategy, but now China and Russia have better climate intelligence than we do
Your insurance rates are about to skyrocket:
When hurricane forecasts get worse, insurance companies raise everyone's rates to cover the extra damage—you'll pay more so oil companies can keep lying about climate change
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Detailed Content
1
WHAT is the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and how long has it operated?
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National Security
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WHEN did the Pentagon announce it would permanently terminate DMSP data sharing?
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Government
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WHAT is the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) and why is it crucial for hurricane forecasting?
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Public Policy
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HOW much of all available microwave satellite data for hurricane forecasting comes from DMSP satellites?
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Climate Policy
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WHICH agency processes DMSP satellite data and distributes it to weather forecasters?
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National Security
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WHAT is "rapid intensification" in hurricanes and why does losing DMSP data make it harder to detect?
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Public Policy
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WHAT role do DMSP satellites play in Arctic sea ice monitoring and why does this matter for national security?
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Climate Policy
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WHAT is the Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite and why isn't it replacing DMSP data?
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National Security
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WHO intervened to delay the DMSP termination from June 30 to July 31, and what does this reveal?
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Government
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HOW does the DMSP termination connect to Project 2025's explicit goals regarding NOAA and climate research?
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Climate Policy
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WHY might the Pentagon's stated "cybersecurity concerns" about DMSP data sharing be questionable?
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National Security
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HOW does degraded hurricane forecasting disproportionately affect vulnerable communities?
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Climate Policy
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WHICH specific hurricane in 2025 demonstrated the value of SSMIS data for detecting rapid intensification?
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Public Policy
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HOW many DMSP satellites are currently operational and providing data that will be terminated?
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National Security
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WHAT happens to real-time sea ice monitoring capabilities when DMSP data ends?
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Climate Policy
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WHAT percentage of NOAA's overall budget does the Trump administration propose to cut?
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Government
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HOW do Hurricane Hunter aircraft compare to satellite data for storm monitoring?
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Public Policy
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WHAT precedent does the DMSP termination set for future military-civilian data sharing?
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National Security
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WHY is the timing of DMSP termination particularly problematic for 2025?
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Climate Policy
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HOW does the loss of microwave data specifically affect nighttime hurricane monitoring?
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Public Policy
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HOW does DMSP termination affect climate research beyond weather forecasting?
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Climate Policy
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WHAT does the response of hurricane experts reveal about the DMSP termination decision?
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Government
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WHAT long-term implications does the DMSP termination have for America's scientific leadership and national security?
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National Security