44 



of over 3.5 million unclassified observations. New unclassified data is regularly 

 provided to NOAA's National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) for public 

 distribution. 



Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave 

 Imager (SSM/I) : The first DMSP SSM/I sensor was launched in June 1 987. The 

 instrument measures cloud water content; rain rates; water vapor over the 

 ocean; marine wind speed; sea ice location, age and concentration; snow water 

 content; and land surface type, moisture and temperature. A total of seven 

 SSM/I's are scheduled to be launched through the next decade. SSM/I data 

 and derived products are unclassified and made available to the civilian 

 community in near real-time through NOAA. 



Submersibles : The Navy has made available its Deep Submergence Vehicles 

 (DSV) Turtle and Seacliff and its nuclear submarine NR-1 for civilian 

 oceanographic and deep sea research. Use of these vehicles is coordinated 

 through the National Undersea Research Program of NOAA and with the 

 University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). Approximately 

 60 days of civilian use is available each year, and perhaps as many as 1 20 days 

 per year could be provided if additional funds for civilian use were made 

 available to the civilian research community. 



In addition, partnerships have been developed with several non-profit 

 organizations for educational and deep sea exploration. For example, the 

 Navy's deep submergence assets were used in conjunction with the National 

 Geographic Society to explore for ships sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal, 

 and with the JASON Foundation for Education in March 1993 as deep sea 



