BOULDER, Colo--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 29, 2026--
Weather Stream Inc. today announced that its GEMS2-Amethyst satellite has achieved first light, collecting global atmospheric observations from orbit. Launched March 30 aboard SpaceX's Transporter 16 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, GEMS2-Amethyst is the latest iteration of the company's Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) meteorological satellite mission.
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GEMS2-Amethyst carries a dual-band passive microwave radiometer designed and built in-house by Weather Stream’s Boulder, Colorado team. The instrument measures three-dimensional atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles across a nearly 2,000-kilometer swath, providing near global coverage approximately every 12 hours. Integrated with a satellite bus from Denmark-based GomSpace, the satellite reached a sun-synchronous orbit at nearly 600 kilometers with a projected operational life of 3-5 years. Payload calibration activities are now underway ahead of data validation and delivery.
The mission builds on the success of Weather Stream’s GEMS1 satellite, which in 2019 became the first commercial microwave radiometer to operate in orbit. While GEMS1 sensed temperature alone, GEMS2-Amethyst adds sensitivity to humidity and precipitation, expanding the company’s ability to fill critical gaps in global weather observations.
“Weather affects everything. From forecasting severe storms to supporting military operations to helping the insurance industry assess risk, the observation gaps we are filling with GEMS2-Amethyst touch decisions that billions of people depend on every day,” said Michael Hurowitz, CEO of Weather Stream.
GEMS2-Amethyst data supports applications ranging from weather forecasting and natural disaster response to defense operations, climate research, and commercial use cases including parametric insurance and aviation planning. Weather Stream delivers this data to government and commercial customers worldwide.
Weather Stream continues advancing its GEMS constellation, with plans to expand its commercial passive microwave capabilities through future GEMS2 missions, alongside advanced sensor development and select strategic partnerships. Together, these efforts mark a new chapter of commercial growth for the company. Organizations interested in collaborating or learning more can visit weatherstream.com.
About Weather Stream
Weather Stream Inc. is a Boulder, Colorado-based satellite operator that designs, builds, and operates proprietary microwave radiometer instruments for global weather and climate observation. Founded from pioneering research at the University of Colorado, the company delivers weather data as a service through its GEMS satellite constellation, providing actionable intelligence for government, defense, commercial, and scientific applications worldwide.
First-light imagery from Weather Stream’s GEMS2-Amethyst satellite, showing 108 GHz passive microwave atmospheric observations from orbit.
LONDON (AP) — Self-flying fighter jets, uncrewed submarines and drones will be at the center of Britain’s future military under a defense plan being announced Tuesday that reflects a world of conflicts transformed by technology.
The Defense Investment Plan has been repeatedly delayed as military leaders and Treasury officials wrangled over the cost of equipping the U.K. military for an increasingly dangerous world. Like other NATO countries, the U.K. is under pressure to increase defense spending to counter a more aggressive Russia and less reliable United States.
John Healey resigned as defense secretary on June 11, accusing the government of being unwilling to spend enough on the military at a time of “rising threats.”
Healey argued that U.K. defense spending must reach 3% of GDP by 2030, citing a British intelligence assessment that Russia could attack a NATO member country by then. He said that the plan put forward by the Treasury would see spending rise to just 2.68% in 2030, after hitting 2.6% next year.
The government says the spending plan has been “refocused” in the past few weeks under Healey’s successor, Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis. That includes a bit more money than the 13.5 billion pounds ($18 billion) Healey was offered, but likely far less than the 28 billion pounds ($37 billion) that defense officials called for.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the plan will ensure “our servicemen and women have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to deter evolving threats and keep the British people safe.” The full document is due to be published later Tuesday.
The plan is a road map for how the U.K. will increase military spending to NATO’s target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035. The U.K. military is seeking to reverse years of decline in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, which invaded its neighbor Ukraine in 2022 and increasingly tests the defenses of European nations with overt and covert activity.
The U.K. has watched how drones have transformed war in Ukraine, which uses 200,000 of them a month to defend against Russian forces. Britain plans to invest billions in drone systems across all branches of the military. Instead of a planned fleet of new destroyers, the Royal Navy will get hybrid vessels that will act as command hubs for drones.
Britain and other NATO member nations have faced pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to increase military spending. Trump has long questioned the value of the military alliance and complained that the United States provides security to European countries that don’t pull their weight.
The resignations of Healey and junior Defense Minister Al Carns were among a series of blows that prompted Starmer to announce last week that he will resign. He is likely to attend a NATO summit in Turkey on July 7 and 8 in one of his last acts as prime minister.
His successor, likely the former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, will be under pressure to stick to the commitments in the defense plan.
Opposition Conservative Party defense spokesperson James Cartlidge said the plan was “too little, too late.”
“The plan is now almost a year overdue and only being rushed through because Keir Starmer is desperate for a legacy,” he said.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 29, 2026.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool)
Britain's Secretary of State for Defence Dan Jarvis arrives for a cabinet meeting hosted by Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street in London, Tuesday, June 23, 2026.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
