The countdown is one week away from sending America’s newest weather satellite into orbit.
While the launch of the newest weather satellite was scheduled for Nov. 10, NOAA says it was delayed due to a faulty battery. The new launch is scheduled no earlier than Tuesday, November 14, 2017 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
“We’re going to launch the NOAA’s JPSS-1the first in a series of four highly advanced polar-orbiting satellites that will improve the accuracy and speed of NOAA’s numerical prediction models and ultimately weather forecasting,” said Ajay Mehta, Acting Deputy Director systems of NOAA Satellite and Information Service.
JPSS, or Joint Polar Satellite System, will be one of two types of satellites operated by NOAA.
“Geostationary, which remains in a fixed position about 22,000 miles above the equator and in polar orbit, which circles the globe at the poles in a much lower orbit, about 500 miles above the surface,” Mehta explained.
Satellites are used by meteorologists when making forecasts, returning images that help tell the current and future weather story.
“[They provide] more accurate and timely observations of the Earth’s atmosphere, land and waters,” Mehta said.
JPSS-1 will be equipped with tools that will significantly improve the accuracy of observations throughout the environment.
“Instruments so precise they can measure temperatures to less than a tenth of a degree throughout the atmosphere, from the surface of the Earth to the farthest reaches of space,” said Greg Mandt, director of the Joint Polar Satellite System.
Each tool will monitor something different, working together to make increased progress in predictions for up to a week.
“All of these instruments work in tandem,” Mandt said. “For example, the VIIRS can tell us the location of a fire and follow a plume of smoke while the CREE The instrument can measure carbon monoxide and methane emanating from the fire, allowing us to see where air quality is affected. »
This will help add more time to prepare for inclement weather and approaching tropical systems like we saw with Harvey, Irma and Maria.
Credit: CIRA
“These well-coordinated preparedness decisions for these storms were based on forecasts that rely on global numerical prediction systems that absolutely need global observing systems, such as polar-orbiting satellites, to make these predictions.” , said Dr. Louis Uccellini, Director of NOAA. National Weather Service.
These new and improved satellites will not only help meteorologists, but also community leaders.
“This will allow decision-makers, emergency managers and the public to prepare and pre-position the resources needed to save lives and protect property,” Uccellini said.
The satellite will be named NOAA 20 once in orbit.
For WeatherNation, I’m Meredith Garofalo
