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About 600 miles off the west coast of Africa, large clusters of thunderstorms begin organizing into tropical storms every hurricane season. They arent yet in range of Hurricane Hunter flights, so forecasters at the National Hurricane Center rely on weather satellites to peer down on these storms and beam back information about their location, structure and intensity.The satellite data helps meteorologists create weather forecasts that keep planes and ships safe and prepare countries for a potential hurricane landfall.Now, meteorologists are about to lose access to three of those satellites.On June 25, 2025, the Trump administration issued a service change notice announcing that the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, DMSP, and the Navys Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center would terminate data collection, processing and distribution of all DMSP data no later than June 30. The data termination was postponed until July 31 following a request from the head of NASAs Earth Science Division. I am a meteorologist who studies lightning in hurricanes and helps train other meteorologists to monitor and forecast tropical cyclones. Here is how meteorologists use the DMSP data and why they are concerned about it going dark.Looking inside the cloudsAt its most basic, a weather satellite is a high-resolution digital camera in space that takes pictures of clouds in the atmosphere.These are the satellite images you see on most TV weather broadcasts. They let meteorologists see the location and some details of a hurricanes structure, but only during daylight hours.Hurricane Flossie spins off the Mexican coast on July 1, 2025. Images show the top of the hurricane from space as day turns to night. [Image: NOAA/GOES]Meteorologists can use infrared satellite data, similar to a thermal imaging camera, at all hours of the day to find the coldest cloud-top temperatures, highlighting areas where the highest wind speeds and rainfall rates are found.But while visible and infrared satellite imagery are valuable tools for hurricane forecasters, they provide only a basic picture of the storm. Its like a doctor diagnosing a patient after a visual exam and checking their temperature.Infrared bands show more detail of Hurricane Flossies structure on July 1, 2025. [Image: NOAA/GOES]For more accurate diagnoses, meteorologists rely on the DMSP satellites.The three satellites orbit Earth 14 times per day with special sensor microwave imager/sounder instruments, or SSMIS. These let meteorologists look inside the clouds, similar to how an MRI in a hospital looks inside a human body. With these instruments, meteorologists can pinpoint the storms low-pressure center and identify signs of intensification.Precisely locating the center of a hurricane improves forecasts of the storms future track. This lets meteorologists produce more accurate hurricane watches, warnings and evacuations.Hurricane track forecasts have improved by up to 75% since 1990. However, forecasting rapid intensification is still difficult, so the ability of DMPS data to identify signs of intensification is important. Dangerous situation imminent in #CostaRica & #Nicaragua as #Otto rapidly intensifies. Impressive SSMIS #microwave w/ potent #eyewall. Philippe Papin (@pppapin.bsky.social) 2016-11-24T13:23:18.000Z About 80% of major hurricanesthose with wind speeds of at least 111 mph (179 kilometers per hour)rapidly intensify at some point, ramping up the risks they pose to people and property on land. Finding out when storms are about to undergo intensification allows meteorologists to warn the public about these dangerous hurricanes.Where are the defense satellites going?NOAAs Office of Satellite and Product Operations described the reason for turning off the flow of data as a need to mitigate a significant cybersecurity risk.The three satellites have already operated for longer than planned.The DMSP satellites were launched between 1999 and 2009 and were designed to last for five years. They have now been operating for more than 15 years. The United States Space Force recently concluded that the DMSP satellites would reach the end of their lives between 2023 and 2026, so the data would likely have gone dark soon.Are there replacements for the DMP satellites?Three other satellites in orbitNOAA-20, NOAA-21 and Suomi NPPhave a microwave instrument known as the advanced technology microwave sounder.The advanced technology microwave sounder, or ATMS, can provide data similar to the special sensor microwave imager/sounder, or SSMIS, but at a lower resolution. It provides a more washed-out view that is less useful than the SSMIS for pinpointing a storms location or estimating its intensity.Images of Hurricane Erick off the coast of Mexico, viewed from NOAA-20s ATMS (left) and DMPS SSMIS (right) on June 18 show the difference in resolution and the higher detail provided by the SSMIS data. [Image: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, via Michael Lowry]The U.S. Space Force began using data from a new defense meteorology satellite, ML-1A, in late April 2025.ML-1A is a microwave satellite that will help replace some of the DMSP satellites capabilities. However, the government hasnt announced whether the ML-1A data will be available to forecasters, including those at the National Hurricane Center.Why are satellite replacements last-minute?Satellite programs are planned over many years, even decades, and are very expensive. The current geostationary satellite program launched its first satellite in 2016 with plans to operate until 2038. Development of the planned successor for GOES-R began in 2019.Similarly, plans for replacing the DMSP satellites have been underway since the early 2000s.Delays in developing the satellite instruments and funding cuts caused the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System and Defense Weather Satellite System to be canceled in 2010 and 2012 before any of their satellites could be launched.The 2026 NOAA budget request includes an increase in funding for the next-generation geostationary satellite program, so it can be restructured to reuse spare parts from existing geostationary satellites. The budget also terminates contracts for ocean color, atmospheric composition and advanced lightning mapper instruments.A busy season remainsThe 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, is forecast to be above average, with six to 10 hurricanes. The most active part of the season runs from the middle of August to the middle of October, after the DMSP satellite data is set to be turned off.Hurricane forecasters will continue to use all available tools, including satellite, radar, weather balloon and dropsonde data, to monitor the tropics and issue hurricane forecasts. But the loss of satellite data, along with other cuts to data, funding and staffing, could ultimately put more lives at risk.Chris Vagasky is a meteorologist and research program manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The first ever treatment for malaria in young babies and infants has been approved. On Tuesday, Novartis announced it had received approval for the treatment, Coartem Baby (known as Riamet Baby in some countries) in Switzerland. Eight African countries, who participated in the assessment, are also expected to quickly approve the treatment. Novartis worked in collaboration with the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), a Swiss-based nonprofit which works to prevent and develop treatments for the mosquito-borne disease, on the drug. Until now, malaria treatments have only been tested in children at least six months old and no drug had not been an approved malaria treatment for infants under 9.9 pounds (4.5 kilograms). And, because there had been no drug designed specifically for babies and small children, treatment has involved the very young taking treatments designed for more developed bodies. It also led to what Novatis called a “treatment gap” for the age group. “Together with our partners, we are proud to have gone further to develop the first clinically proven malaria treatment for newborns and young babies, ensuring even the smallest and most vulnerable can finally receive the care they deserve,” said Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan in a press release. Narasimham continued, “For more than three decades, we have stayed the course in the fight against malaria, working relentlessly to deliver scientific breakthroughs where they are needed most. Together with our partners, we are proud to have gone further to develop the first clinically proven malaria treatment for newborns and young babies, ensuring even the smallest and most vulnerable can finally receive the care they deserve. According to Novartis, infection rates in Africa range from 3.4% and 18.4% in infants younger than six months old. In 2023, malaria caused around 597,000 deaths, most of which were in Africa, per The World Health Organization. Three quarters (76%) of those deaths were in children under the age of five.Martin Fitchet, CEO of MMV said in the press release, “Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases, particularly among children. But with the right resources and focus, it can be eliminated.” Fitchet continued, “The approval of Coartem Baby provides a necessary medicine with an optimised dose to treat an otherwise neglected group of patients and offers a valuable addition to the antimalarial toolbox.” In recent years, malaria vaccine development has been accelerated. Still, there have been significant financial, logistical, and social hurdles, in deployment to the most vulnerable. However, Novartis says it plans to introduce its drug on a largely not-for-profit basis in order to help hard-hit “endemic” areas fight the illness.
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For decades, Leatherman has defined the multi-tool category and built an obsessive fanbase. So lets be real: For the launch of its first standalone knife series, announced today, the company could have simply bought a warehouse of cheap blades and slapped its branding on it, and it would have sold perfectly well. But the knives I’m holding are not that. They’re sublimely weighted. They’re made with innovative production methods and a cutting-edge steel. With its line of three fixed-blade knives and two folders, Leathermans goal is to establish itself as a legit player in the knife categoryand the company is using craft and design to try to differentiate itself from the rest of the field. We want to work at a company that does amazingly well-thought-out, well-crafted productand we wouldn’t settle for anything less than what we would want to carry, says Leatherman Senior Industrial Designer Mark Perusich. So it had to be premium. It had to be tough. It had to be durable. It had to be functional. Those are all the key tenants that any good knife should have. But for us, [it was about] bringing it to the next level. [Photo: Leatherman] WHITE SPACE Leathermans home base of Oregon is knife country. Here, Benchmade, CRKT, Gerber and other brands craft more than half of the knives sold domestically. Leatherman has been making its signature multi-tools in Portland since 1983, when Tim Leatherman introduced his PST (pocket survival tool), and today the company is worth more than $100 million. With consumer demand for a dedicated knife line and enthusiastic champions in CEO Benjamin Rivera and Director of Special Projects Lee Leatherman, the company began working on the products in late 2023. With the exception of a few limited drops and smaller releases, Leatherman may be new to the solo knife categorybut that doesnt mean its inexperienced in bladecraft. We’ve been making, you know, 3 million knives a year, Perusich says. Theyve just been going into multi-tools. Still, Senior Product Manager Jackson Wang adds, the fact that they are technically new to the format does give them an advantagewhite space, and a chance to make something that feels uniquely Leatherman. From a branding perspective, that means unwavering perseverance, ingenious design, and the ability to save the day, he says. From a practical standpoint, that meant aiming for a durable and quality tool that could be passed down to the next generation. [Photo: Leatherman] THE FIXED BLADES Since the brand was aiming for a premium product (all of the knives come in at the $300 range), they needed a steel to match, so they went with MagnaCut. Created by metallurgist Larrin Thomas in 2021. Its known for its edge retention, durability, and corrosion resistance; Leatherman also happened to be the first brand to put it in a multi-tool, in 2023. Given that every element of a Leatherman multi-tool has a purpose, it tracks that each of the five knives were designed for a specific application. Trac [Photo: Leatherman] First up in the fixed blades is the Trac, which is an all-purpose outdoor knife for hunting, foraging, or camping. It features a hollow grindessentially a blade ground to a concave edge, resulting in a razor-sharp knife ideal for slicing and cutting. Perusich says this is rare for MagnaCut steel, given the difficulty in executing the edge. The edges around the body of the knife are also fully radiused (rounded and smoothed) for comfort, something he adds is typically only found in the high-end custom knife market. That was something we really wanted to lean intohow do we elevate this in all ways and really start to pay homage to that handcrafted sort of appeal? Perusich says. [Photo: Leatherman] Whereas sheaths are often an afterthought, Leatherman went all in on custom pairings for the three fixed blades. For the Trac, that features as a vegetable-tanned, hand-stitched, full-grain leather tha can be adapted to a variety of carrying positions. We’re making a knife, but also we need to make the accompanying accessories with it equally as well-thought-out, Perusich notes. Pioneer [Photo: Leatherman] Following the Trac is the Pioneera brute of a blade intended for survivalists and heavy-duty bushcraft, with a notch that can be used as a strike surface for a fire starter. It features a G10 handle that offers grip even in the rain, and is extra long, given that the wearer is likely to be donning gloves. Rustle [Photo: Leatherman] And finally, theres a camp cook knife, the Rustle. With its four-inch Santoku-style chef blade, its short enough that it can operate in tight spaces, but long enough that it can actually functionso that basic food prep is no longer a dilemma between using a Swiss Army Knife or lugging a full-size kitchen blade to camp. THE FOLDERS A Leatherman multi-tool might seem like a maximalist thingso many tools shoved into one devicebut having one tool for everything is actually a relatively minimalist concept. When it came to the folders, the team also had minimalism in mindand they were able to get them down to just 12 components, which is a design feat in its own right (per Leatherman, contemporary folding knives with locking mechanisms can have between 20 and 35 components). Wang says they wanted to showcase their engineering prowessand they also knew that knife enthusiasts would take the knives apart to study their insides. Blazer [Photo: Leatherman] I come from an older generation of industrial design, and for us, Eames was sort of our guiding light, Perusich says. We used to take products and flip them upside down, open them up, and they had to look good at every angle. Glider [Photo: Leatherman] Here, Leatherman aimed for the sameso when someone opens up one of the Blazer or Glider folders, theyll find stainless steel handles that have been precisely internally cored using a proprietary process to optimize their balance and ergonomics. Wang says that even the sound the knife makes when its clicked open was considered, with the coring giving a novel tinny effect thats unique to the market. All of the knives in the new line come in a kaleidoscopic array of colors, but the foldables feature particularly interesting and subtle accents throughoutincluding on the lanyard, which comes with a flat bit that can be used to tear down the knife. On that note, this is, after all, Leathermanwas it an exercise in restraint to not fill these blades with Easter egg functionality galore? We like to kind of feature creep, as we call it, and add more and more, Perusich says. We love our multi-tools here, so it took a lot of discipline.
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