SCIENCE

NASA launches storm-tracking satellites

By Sanjana Shankar

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Storm-tracking satellites

NASA has launched two small satellites into the low Earth orbit, which will help better monitor hurricanes. The launch was a part of the TROPICS mission.

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Launch

The two shoe-boxed-sized satellites, called CubeSats, lifted off from the launch complex in Mahia, New Zealand.

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TROPICS mission

The TROPICS mission will ultimately form a constellation of four identical CubeSats which are designed to observe tropical cyclones.

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Studying storms from space

These satellites will conduct observations every hour as opposed to current weather-tracking satellites, which monitor every six hours.

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Track storms better

The second pair of CubeSats, which will complete the TROPICS satellite constellation, is expected to take off in about two weeks.

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