The World Data Center for Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere, WDC-RSAT, offers scientists and the general public free access to a continuously growing collection of atmosphere-related satellite-based data sets (ranging from raw to value added data), information products and services. Focus is on atmospheric trace gases, aerosols and dynamics parameters.

Since 2003 the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) hosts and operates the WDC-RSAT.

WDC-RSAT cooperates with partners in establishing and making use of modern information technologies (e.g. Grid) in order to promote networking. It is already being implemented as a data publication agent for data related to remote sensing of the atmosphere and is thus authorized to assign so-called ‘Digital Object Identifiers’ (DOI) to data sets. This allows that data sets can be cited similarly such as peer reviewed publications.

WDC-RSAT serves as a communication and data management platform for the recently established international and global Network for the Detection of Mesopause Change (NDMC).