Tag: tropics

NASA and Rocket Lab will launch two small satellites to join two already in orbit for NASA’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission. Liftoff on an Electron rocket is targeted for no earlier than 11:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 25 (0330 UTC Friday, May 26) from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex-1 in Māhia, New Zealand.

The TROPICS mission will study the formation and development of tropical cyclones, making observations of temperature, precipitation, water vapor, and cloud ice more often than what is possible with current weather satellites.

A recording of the May 7 TROPICS launch can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnByCGS2Bs. />
Image Credit: Rocket Lab

Launch of NASA’s Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission is now targeted for 9 p.m. EDT, Sunday, May 7 (0100 UTC, Monday May 8) from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex-1 in Māhia, New Zealand.

NASA and Rocket Lab will launch two CubeSats into orbit for the TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission.

TROPICS is a constellation of four identical CubeSats designed to observe tropical cyclones from low Earth orbit, making observations more frequently than current weather tracking satellites. A second launch from Rocket Lab will carry two additional CubeSats, with exact launch times contingent on the date and time of the first launch.

Download Link: https://images.nasa.gov/details/Launch%20of%20Cyclone-Tracking%20TROPICS%20CubeSats%20from%20New%20Zealand%20%28Official%20NASA%20Broadcast%29

Image Credit: Rocket Lab