International coordination of operational instruments on the NASAand ESA space station polar orbiting platforms

The roles played by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the international community in coordinating plans to fly operational instruments on NOAA polar orbiting satellites are discussed, as is how this coordination has assisted in the planning for the flight of similar instruments on the proposed NASA and ESA polar orbiting platforms in the mid-to-late-1990s. Details on the operational sensor complements on the polar platforms are provided