NOAA, the U.S. Air Force and NASA agreed this week to restore the Total Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) to the first NPOESS (National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System). Set to launch in 2013, NPOESS is a new civil/military satellite system that will monitor the Earth's weather, atmosphere, oceans, land and near-space environment. The mission will monitor the planet and providing data for long-range weather and climate forecast models.

TSIS will measure the total amount of solar radiation that comes into the earth's atmosphere- a key data point and factor in climate change.

As mentioned, scientists need those high quality data for inclusion in models. A number of climate change denyers didn't want that sensor to fly: it's easier to say something isn't happening if nobody can measure it accurately. I am very pleased this sensor is once again being included.