The Ground Segment
Data from COSMIC-2 satellites are received by a system of ground stations located throughout the tropics, near Earth's equator.
Map of COSMIC-2 ground stations. (Credit: UCAR)
The COSMIC-2 ground stations allow data to be quickly downloaded after observation by each of the six satellites. Once a ground station receives the data, they are transferred to data processing centers in the U.S. and Taiwan.
The processed data are then provided to the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Transmission System (GTS), which distributes data products to meteorological agencies and weather prediction centers around the world.
COSMIC-2 data improve weather forecasting and help provide watches and warnings for storms and other extreme weather farther in advance.