NASA, University of Michigan Start Hurricane-Tracking Microsatellite Development

CYGNSS will allow scientists to probe the inner core of hurricanes from space frequently for the first time, using both direct and reflected signals from existing Global Positioning System satellites to obtain estimates of surface wind speeds over the ocean. Unfortunately, current satellite monitoring systems can only look at such storms periodically, which can lead to some nasty surprises.

NASA’s Cyclone worldwide Navigation Satellite tv for pc System (CYGNSS), a constellation of eight microsatellites, will enhance by making measurements of ocean floor winds in and close to the attention wall of tropical cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes all through their life cycle. With this data, scientists can perform more accurate predictions of hurricane tracks, intensities, and storm surges. The capacity to better monitor and predict the rapid transformations in hurricane intensity, like those witnessed with Hurricane Katrina, is vital to coastal communities.

The CYGNSS mission has lately passed the two important NASA reviews, which has cleared its path of integration, testing and preparation of the microsatellites for flight.

NASA’s next generation hurricane-observing satellite is under construction in Texas.

The Southwest Research Institute is building and testing the CYGNSS microsatellites and will host the mission operations center at its location in Boulder, Colorado. The university’s work includes the design and production of satellites as well as science data processing. “We at the moment are within the final part of the mission previous to launch and the start of a brand new period in hurricane observations”.

The CYGNSS constellation will be deployed in low-Earth orbit on a trajectory that will let each one of the string of satellites to pass over a given area every 12 minutes.

NASA said the assembly process for the first microsatellite began August 14, and that assembly will begin on the remaining satellites in the following weeks.

Each of the satellites will be about the size of an airline carry-on suitcase and weigh less than 30kg. They’re solar powered and when extended, the panels have a span of 5.5 ft (1.6 m).

CYGNSS is a NASA Earth Enterprise mission within the Earth System Science Pathfinder program, managed by the company’s Langley Analysis Middle in Hampton, Virginia.

An Orbital ATK Pegasus XL expendable rocket will launch the satellite system later the same year, with plans to commence scientific operations in 2017.