NASA Launches 8-Satellite Constellation to Track Hurricanes from Space
Source: Space.com
NASA Launches 8-Satellite Constellation to Track Hurricanes from Space
By Jesse Emspak, Space.com Contributor | December 15, 2016 09:00am ET
A rocket fired from a jet plane Thursday (Dec. 15) to launch NASA's latest Earth-observing mission, an 8-satellite mission to study hurricanes like never before.
The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission will use radio signals from the GPS satellites to measure the wind speed near the ground in the tropics, between 35 degrees north and 35 degrees south where most hurricanes are born. CYGNSS launched into orbit on an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket at 8:35 a.m. EST (1335 GMT) after being flown into launch position by the L-1011 Stargazer carrier plane.
"It was beautiful," said Tim Dunn, NASA's launch director, after the successful flight. The rocket and satellites fared just as expected, he added.
The launch of CYGNSS was delayed since Monday (Dec. 12) when a hydraulic pump glitch prevented a first launch attempt. The need for a spacecraft flight software patch also delayed plans for a Wednesday launch try, NASA officials said. But apparently it was worth the wait. The eight satellites made a smooth trip into orbit and ended up exactly where the mission's science team hoped.
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Read more: http://www.space.com/35038-nasa-launches-cygnss-hurricane-satellites.html
Launch video: http://www.space.com/35037-ignition-nasa-cygnss-hurricane-satellites-launched-video.html#ooid=x2MmphODE67ZuGaMj91z_KoIgoyrA5k-
[font size=1]An artist's illustration of one of eight Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) satellites in orbit as part of a novel hurricane-tracking mission by NASA.
Credit: NASA[/font]