1999: The QuikSCAT satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base atop a U.S. Air Force Titan II launch vehicle. QuikSCAT houses a scatterometer called SeaWinds that is being used to acquire all-weather, high-resolution measurements of near-surface winds over the Earth's oceans. These data will be combined with measurements from scientific instruments in other disciplines to help us better understand the mechanisms of global climate change and weather patterns.