The Global Hawk dropsonde is a miniaturized version of standard RD-93 dropsondes based largely on MIST driftsondes deployed from balloons. The dropsonde provides vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds. Data from these sondes are transmitted in near real-time via Iridium or Ku-band satellite to the ground-station, where additional processing will be performed for transmission of the data via the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) for research and operational use.
Delivery of new Suomi NPP data ceases on Nov. 2, 2026. Users should transition to alternative products.
Suomi NPP data announcement