Story by
Patrick Lynch
Released on September 4, 2012
Why do some storms intensify into powerful hurricanes? In search of the answer NASA scientists took to the skies in 2010 aboard a flying laboratory that crisscrossed the path of Hurricane Earl as it approached the East Coast of the United States. By deploying canister-shaped sensors within the storm, researchers collected valuable data that will help them understand how such storms form and develop. But they weren't working alone: Soaring at an altitude of 60,000 feet, NASA's unmanned Global Hawk aircraft cruised over the Category 4 hurricane while astronauts on the International Space Station captured dramatic photos of its massive cloud tops from above. Wonder what it's like to fly through a hurricane? Watch the video to get a window seat view from the scientists' plane as it jetted into the eye of the storm.
Videographer: Jane Peterson (University of North Dakota)
Lead Writer: Patrick Lynch (Wyle Information Systems)
Please give credit for this item to: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Global Hawk photo courtesy of NASA/NOAA TRMM image courtesy of NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce ISS photos courtesy of NASA, Douglas Wheelock Aqua image courtesy of NASA/MODIS Rapid Response Team
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