NASA launched two satellites to measure cyclone formation

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sent two new satellites into space to use them to find hurricanes and tornadoes. The launch was performed on a Rocket Labs Electron rocket on a mission launched in New Zealand last Sunday (7) despite being a NASA satellite.

The satellites are two cube satellites – the size of a shoebox – a type of satellite known for its simplified structure and low cost. 33 minutes after the rocket was launched, the cube satellites were sent into low Earth orbit about 550 kilometers from our planet.

The cube satellites are the first of the TROPICS (Time-Based Observations of Precipitation Structure and Time-Based Observations of Storm Intensity with Minor Satellite Constellation) network that plans to place four of these small satellites in low Earth orbit. The purpose of the equipment is to more easily measure the formation and progression of cyclones and tropical cyclones hour by hour.

“With the ability to look into the storm’s microwave wavelength region, we’ll take data we’ve never had before with a clockwise cadence to monitor the storm as it forms and intensifies. TROPICS Principal Investigator Bill Blackwell said: “The processes that drive storms and ultimately improve our ability to predict and monitor intensity are the fundamentals. ” said.

TROPICS satellites

Researcher Will McCarty of the TROPICS program in NASA’s Earth Sciences Division said the missions are part of an innovation leap aimed at increasing the number of climate-focused satellites in space. To function properly, four satellites need to be launched in a period of up to 60 days, so the other two cube satellites will be launched within two weeks.

Initially, TROPIC’s missions were to be conducted through the European Space Agency’s (ESA) unmanned Mars Express program, but these were transferred to the Rocket Labs rocket in New Zealand.

We have our last engine outage @RocketLabCurie engine on #RocketLikeAHurricane carries two TROPICS CubeSats.

Expected Load Distribution! ????

It will take several trajectories to verify the signal. Follow for more mission updates! https://t.co/wOmIEFxnfp pic.twitter.com/bzr1AFXh8s

— NASA’s Launch Services Program (@NASA_LSP) 8 May 2023

The TROPICS satellite constellation is expected to become operational in the Northern Hemisphere before the start of the 2023 hurricane season. Previously, the team planned to send six satellites, but two cube satellites were ordered during the June 2022 launch when the Astra rocket failed. Since then, NASA has chosen Rocket Labs to send four satellites into low Earth orbit.

“This is the cube satellite revolution. In addition to larger weather satellites, we’re also getting some innovations in these small compact sizes… These cube satellites are the size of a loaf of bread. this mission,” he said. McCarty