WASHINGTON: To track tropical cyclones hour by hour, NASA on Monday launched two small satellites from a base in New Zealand. This project could help weather predictions about devastating storms.
With present satellites, the new storm trackers can fly over hurricanes (or typhoons in the Pacific) every hour instead of every six hours. These devices are launched into orbit on a rocket developed by the US business Rocket Lab.
At a news briefing for the TROPICS mission’s initial launch, NASA scientist Will McCarty indicated that researchers would be able to observe storms evolve hourly.
The big satellites are still necessary, he continued. The opportunity to enhance our existing flagship satellites with additional data is what we get from this. To complete a small constellation of four storm-tracking satellites, a second rocket lab-built craft will launch in roughly two weeks with two additional satellites.
Scientists may be able to predict the location and intensity of a hurricane using data on rainfall, temperature, and humidity. This knowledge might assist residents of coastal areas with planning potential evacuations.
According to Ben Kim, a programme executive at NASA, “Many operational organisations like the National Hurricane Centre and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre and many others are ready to get tropical imagery to help inform their forecasters.” Long-term improvements to climate models may be possible with a greater comprehension of the genesis and development of these storms.
Initially, the constellation was supposed to consist of six satellites rather than just four. Still, the first two were lost when a US Astra rocket malfunctioned last year shortly after take-off. Scientists say typhoons and hurricanes are getting stronger as the ocean surface warms.
Numerous fatalities and more than $100 billion in damage from Hurricane Ian devastated Florida in 2022, making it the costliest weather disaster of the year in history.
