\r
This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)
\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.
\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.
\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall.
\r\r\r", "items": [ { "id": 294194, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457549, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/GlobalHawk.jpg", "filename": "GlobalHawk.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 294195, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457550, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/GlobalHawk_web.png", "filename": "GlobalHawk_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 294196, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457551, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/GlobalHawk_thm.png", "filename": "GlobalHawk_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } }, { "id": 294184, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457552, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_1920x1080.mov", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_1920x1080.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 294185, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457555, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_1280x720.mov", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_1280x720.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 294186, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457559, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_NBC_Today.mov", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_NBC_Today.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 294187, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457556, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_WEA_CEN.wmv", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_WEA_CEN.wmv", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 294188, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457560, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_prores.avi", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_prores.avi", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 294189, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457557, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_baron.mp4", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_baron.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 294190, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457547, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_prores.mov", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_prores.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 294191, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457553, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_iPad_960x540.mp4", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_iPad_960x540.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 960, "height": 540, "pixels": 518400 } }, { "id": 294192, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457554, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_iPad_1280x720.mp4", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_iPad_1280x720.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 294193, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457548, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_iPad_1920x0180.mp4", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_iPad_1920x0180.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 294197, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 457558, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011505/WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_iPad_960x540.webmhd.webm", "filename": "WC_GlobalHawk-1920-MASTER_iPad_960x540.webmhd.webm", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "LEAD: NASA is using a special plane to help hurricane forecasters this summer. \r This unmanned plane, Global Hawk, flies at 60,000 feet (twice the height of commercial planes)\r\r It takes x-ray-like “cat- scans” of the inside of a hurricane: such as the towers of heavy rain that help energize storms.\r\rBecause it can stay up for 24 hours it can examine the entire hurricane, Head to toe.\r\r\rTAG: Information will help forecasters determine why some hurricanes blow up from a minimal category one (1) storm to a devastating monster category 5 in less than a day. Especially critical when they approach landfall. \r\r\r", "width": 960, "height": 540, "pixels": 518400 } } ], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "gms", "funding_sources": [ "PAO" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Producer", "people": [ { "name": "Howard Joe Witte", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ] }, { "role": "Project support", "people": [ { "name": "Aaron E. Lepsch", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ] } ], "missions": [], "series": [], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Earth" ], "keywords": [ "HDTV" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 11312, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11312/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA's HS3 Mission: The Dropsonde System", "description": "Dropsondes provide insight into hurricane strength by monitoring winds and their direction. They also measure temperature, pressure, and humidity in the atmosphere. NOAA physicist Gary Wick describes the Dropsonde System on board NASA's Global Hawk aircraft. For more information: www.nasa.gov/HS3 || ", "release_date": "2013-09-10T12:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:51:52.543977-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 462394, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011300/a011312/G2013-060_HS3-MPEG-4_800Kbps_Streaming00027_print.jpg", "filename": "G2013-060_HS3-MPEG-4_800Kbps_Streaming00027_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The Dropsonde System The Dropsonde System on the Global Hawk aircraft will help scientists monitor and track storm conditions. ", "width": 1023, "height": 575, "pixels": 588225 } }, { "id": 4102, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4102/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Global Hawk observes the Saharan Air Layer through the Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) during Hurricane Nadine", "description": "NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel mission(HS3) is a mission that brings together several NASA centers with federal and university partners to investigate the processes that underlie hurricane formation and intensity change in the Atlantic Ocean basin. Among those factors, HS3 will address the controversial role of the hot, dry and dusty Saharan Air Layer(SAL) in tropical storm formation and intensification and the extent to which deep convection in the inner-core region of storms is a key driver of intensity change.One instrument used to investigate the SAL is the cloud physics lidar(CPL). CPL uses a laser to measure vertical profiles of dust; a dropsonde system that releases small instrumented packages from the aircraft that fall to the surface while measuring profiles of temperature, humidity, and winds; and an infrared sounder that measures temperature and humidity in clear-sky regions.The CPL is an airborne lidar system designed specifically for studying clouds and aerosols. CPL will study cloud- and dust-layer boundaries and will provide optical depth or thickness of aerosols and cloudsOn Sept. 11 and 12, during the 2012 HS3 mission, the NASA Global Hawk aircraft covered more than one million square kilometers (386,100 square miles) going back and forth over the storm in a gridded fashion in what's called a \"lawnmower pattern.\"Dropsonde data from HS3's flights show temperature and humidity conditions in the storm. In this movie, the dropsondes are colored with the relative humidity data where blue represents dry air and red represents moist air.For more information about NASA's HS3 mission, visit:http://www.nasa.gov/hs3 || ", "release_date": "2013-09-10T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-02-02T22:12:07.983574-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 462406, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004100/a004102/CPL_Dropsondes_HS3_composite2990.jpg", "filename": "CPL_Dropsondes_HS3_composite2990.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows how NASA scientists investigated the Saharan Air Layer during Hurricane Nadine. The blue to white data in the curtains is attenuated backscatter from CPL. The dropsonde data is showing relative humidity where blue represents dry air and red represents moist air. ", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 4036, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4036/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Global Hawk Takes High Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP) Data", "description": "The dual-wavelength (Ku- and Ka-band) High Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP) flew for the first time on the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) during the 2010 Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP). The HIWRAP is able to measure line-of-sight and ocean surface winds for a longer period of time than obtained by current satellites and lower-altitude instrumented aircraft. HIWRAP is conical scanning, and winds and reflectivity can be mapped within the swath below the Global Hawk. This visual will highlight the UAV measuring Hurricane Karl's HIWRAP Ku-band observations on September 16 from 18:53:10 through 19:19:18. The dimensions of the Global Hawk were exaggerated by a factor of 10 so the viewer could see the UAV. The Global Hawk actual dimensions are 44.4 ft (13.5 m) length by 116.2 ft. (35.4 m) wingspan by 15.2 ft (4.6 m) height. The movie starts as the Global Hawk flies over Hurricane Karl to reveal a hot tower. Hot towers are important to understanding hurricane intensification because they can carry hot moist air through the high layer of cirrus clouds above a hurricane. Hot towers are hard to study because they go so high and they do not last very long. The structure of this storm is seen through reflectivity data where dbz is between 25 and 40. The HIWRAP data is colored based on the height from the surface. Red shows 12 km above sea level, orange is 10 km, yellow is 7.5 km, green is 6 km, and blue is under 6 km.For more information on GRIP and other elements of NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel project, visit http://www.nasa.gov/HS3. || ", "release_date": "2013-08-01T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2024-10-10T00:03:22.247119-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 469561, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004000/a004036/printhawk_sees_KU_HIWRAP_Sep16_hour18_19_inner.0657_web.png", "filename": "printhawk_sees_KU_HIWRAP_Sep16_hour18_19_inner.0657_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "HIWRAP measures a burst of convection often called a \"Hot Tower\" measuring over 12 km high.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 11039, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11039/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "HS3 video resources and interview clips", "description": "The Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) is a five-year mission specifically targeted to investigate the processes that underlie hurricane formation and intensity change in the Atlantic Ocean basin. The NASA Global Hawk UASs are ideal platforms for investigations of hurricanes, capable of flight altitudes greater than 55,000 ft and flight durations of up to 30 h. HS3 will utilize two Global Hawks, one with an instrument suite geared toward measurement of the environment and the other with instruments suited to inner-core structure and processes. || ", "release_date": "2012-09-17T12:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:48.098914-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 472219, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011000/a011039/HS3_VF_preview_youtube_hq.00277_print.jpg", "filename": "HS3_VF_preview_youtube_hq.00277_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A pre-mission video file looking ahead to NASA's 2012 HS3 campaign, featuring video of the Global Hawk aircraft in flight, instruments being integrated into the aircraft, and an interview with NASA scientist Scott Braun", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }