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