NASA On Air: NASA Launches CYGNSS: Eight Eyes-in-the-Sky for Better Hurricane Forecasts (12/15/2016)

  • Released Thursday, December 15, 2016
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LEAD: [Today, 12/15/2016] NASA launched eight small satellites to help hurricane forecasters give advanced warnings of hurricane strength.

1. The group of small satellites, with 5-foot solar panels, will fly 300 miles above the Earth in a string 12 minutes apart.

2. Because the system detects the relatively long wavelength of reflected signals from existing GPS satellites, it can measure surface winds underneath the torrential hurricane rains.

TAG: Hurricane scientists expect the critical wind data will help them better forecast the intensification of hurricanes.

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NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Thursday, December 15, 2016.
This page was last updated on Monday, July 15, 2024 at 12:12 AM EDT.