'micro-satellites' to spy on hurricanes

'micro-satellites' to spy on hurricanes

A new constellation of eight "micro-satellites" — each about the size of a full-grown swan — that should improve hurricane forecasts is scheduled to launch into orbit in mid-December.

The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, is NASA's first small satellite constellation devoted to Earth science and also the first that's focused specifically on the tropics, according to Christine Bonniksen, NASA program executive for the mission.

Using GPS technology, the satellites will be able to peer through rain and clouds to determine the wind speed just above the surface of the ocean by measuring the "ocean roughness," said Chris Ruf, a University of Michigan professor and the principal investigator for the mission. Previously, this weather data had only been available from hurricane hunter airplanes sent out to analyze the storms.

The satellites will also be used to study other weather and oceanic patterns besides hurricanes. They will measure waves and currents in the tropics and create "a great scientific data set," Maue said.

The satellites were designed and built by scientists and engineers at the University of Michigan and the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. They are set to launch from Cape Canaveral aboard a Pegasus XL rocket on Dec. 12.

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