Data Collection Systems (DCS)

Data Collection Systems (DCS)

Data Collection Services (DCS) are services, offered by meteorological satellite operators, that enable the relay of environmental data from Data Collection Platforms (DCPs) to end users, through the use of a certified DCP transmitter installed on the DCP. Several meteorological satellite operators, namely the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coordinate their DCS activities through the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS). This international coordination ensures global DCS coverage, apart from the Polar Regions.

The first CGMS Data Collection Services Handbook was released in 2020.

Links to CGMS member DCS pages:

EUMETSAT DCS https://www.eumetsat.int/meteosat-data-collection-services

JMA DCS https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/satellite/nmhs/dcs89.html

NOAA DCS https://dcs1.noaa.gov/