Quik SCAT
The QuikSCAT (Quick Scatterometer) is an earth-observing satellite that provided estimates of wind speed and direction over the oceans to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others. This "quick recovery" mission intended to replace the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT), which failed in June 1997. The satellite launched on 19 June 1999 with an intended mission of two or three years. QuikSCAT, however, continued to operate for a decade and stopped working circa 23 November 2009, when the bearings in the motor of the spinning antenna failed.
When QuikSCAT operated normally and the antenna rotated, the spacecraft collected information on winds in strips 1800 kilometers wide on a daily basis. The QuikSCAT scatterometer still continues to provide useful remote sensing data over specific regions and giving scientists a way to test the accuracy of other space-based scatterometers. QuikSCAT operates in a sun-synchronous orbit (low-earth orbit).
Read more about Quik SCAT: Construction and Launch, Uses, 2007 Bill Proenza Controversy, 2009 Sensor Loss, Replacement