The morning of December 15, a rocket fired from a jet plane was launched by the NASA's latest Earth-observing duty. The new mission of NASA is to set an 8-satellite quest to study Earth's hurricanes like never before. The plane carrying the satellites took off shortly after sunrise Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
NASA Sets 8 Satellites To Examine Hurricanes From Space
The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission will use radio signals to measure possible hurricanes, that is between 35 degrees north and 35 degrees south. CYGNSS launched into orbit on an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket at 8:35 a.m. EST (13:35 GMT) after being flown into launch position by the L-1011 Stargazer carrier plane. An hour later, the co-pilot pushed the button that released the Pegasus rocket and attached satellites from the belly of the plane, 39,000 feet above the Atlantic and 100 miles east of Daytona Beach.
According to Phys Org, the $157 million CYGNSS, is meant to improve hurricane forecasting. The satellites have GPS navigation receivers to frequently measure the surface roughness of oceans, enabling scientists to calculate wind speed and storm intensity. Unlike weather satellites already in orbit, these spacecraft can peer through rain swirling in a hurricane, all the way into the eye, or core. "It looked beautiful," NASA launch manager Tim Dunn said after the successful flight. The rocket and satellites fared just as expected, "We're very excited," he added.
Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) Launch
As reported by Space, the launch of CYGNSS was delayed since Monday, December 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.
The launch was rescheduled various times after Monday's issue. The faulty hydraulic system was not for the L-1011 "Stargazer" aircraft itself, but for the system that allows the Pegasus XL rocket to release from the aircraft. That system was not meeting its “prescribed pressures,” which suggested a problem with the hydraulic pump. The weather also complicated the launch with pilots flying “around, under and over a lot of precipitation and bad clouds,” said Dunn.
