U.S. loses control of weather satellite, assigns backup: Air Force

[March 04, 2016]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials have lost control over one of a series of satellites used to provide weather data to military aircraft, but the use of a backup satellite means there will be no change to service, the Air Force said on Thursday.

Control was lost on Feb. 11, and officials are unsure whether it can be regained, the Air Force said in a statement.

The military weather satellite program is jointly run in Suitland, Maryland, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Air Force.

(Reporting by Eric Walsh; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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