This article examines the contested process through which satellite weather data collection is being transformed from a governmental mission to one increasingly carried out by the private sector. As illustration of this controversial transformation, it addresses the debates raised in the United States between some members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Congress, private firms, academic meteorology and international observers between 2006 and 2017 regarding the commercialisation of data obtained from radio occultations using the Global Navigation Satellite System. It looks, in particular, at the arguments, discourses, viewpoints and perspectives of these involved actors. By focusing on one particular site of controversy—policies and practices of data distribution—this case study emphasises a clash of values between conventional norms of meteorology and commercial imperatives driving the private sector with respects to data sharing. The main interest of this article pertains to the broader issue of changing the current model for data gathering, using and sharing in the face of growing commercialisation of weather satellites.

本文探讨了有争议的过程，该过程将卫星天气数据收集从政府任务转变为私营部门日益增多的任务。作为这种有争议的转变的例证，它解决了美国国家海洋和大气管理局某些成员，国会，私营公司，学术气象学和国际观察员之间在2006年至2017年之间就从无线电获得的数据商业化所引发的辩论使用全球导航卫星系统进行掩星。它尤其着眼于这些参与者的论点，论述，观点和观点。通过关注争议的一个特定站点-数据分发的政策和做法-该案例研究强调了常规气象学规范与推动私有部门在数据共享方面的商业要求之间的价值冲突。本文的主要兴趣涉及更广泛的问题，即面对气象卫星日益商业化的情况，改变当前的数据收集，使用和共享模型。