By Jon Kelvey
June 1, 2022
The current generation of U.S. geostationary weather satellites can't plumb the atmosphere to produce temperature and moisture measurements, as previous versions did with sounding instruments. As NOAA plans its next-generation constellation, Jon Kelvey looks at the odds forecasters will get their sounders this time.
By Moriba Jah
November 1, 2020
By Debra Werner
May 1, 2020
Europe and Japan are leading the way toward cleaning Earth orbit of debris; satellite operators around the world must be ready to dodge debris and each other. It’s a chaotic situation that, to some, feels like an abdication of the U.S. government’s traditional leadership role in matters of space at a time when it’s never been more needed. Debra Werner examines the arguments and a potential solution.
By Cat Hofacker
October 1, 2019
April 1, 2019
Cooling pipes were not working inside the camera aboard NOAA’s geosynchronous GOES-17 weather satellite, degrading the performance of its crucial infrared channels. It sounded like game over, but not to NOAA and Harris Corp., the company that built the camera. John Van Naarden of Harris and Dan Lindsey of NOAA explain how engineers learned to operate GOES-17 and its camera without those critical cooling pipes.
By Debra Werner
January 31, 2019
Weather forecasters are always hungry for more data. Over the last few years, they've learned that signals from GPS and rival constellations can tell them interesting things about the atmosphere. The question is whether cubesats and other smallsats can gather these radio occultation readings accurately enough. Debra Werner takes the measure of a congressionally directed pilot project that could provide the answer.
By Debra Werner
July 1, 2018
By Debra Werner
July 1, 2018
The U.S. Air Force is in the midst of upending its decades-old approach of gathering life-and-death weather data for commanders and troops with limousine-sized satellites. Smaller is in for this next generation, and privately operated constellations could play a prominent role too. Debra Werner went looking for what could come after the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program.
By Ben Iannotta
January 2, 2018
By Debra Werner
January 2, 2018
NOAA's newest weather satellites could extend forecasts to 7 days for hurricanes that threaten U.S.
By Ben Iannotta
September 28, 2017
May 31, 2017
The Legal Aspects Technical Committee fosters an understanding of legal areas unique to aerospace.
By Ben Iannotta
April 17, 2017
By Ben Iannotta
February 9, 2017
A revolutionary weather satellite and the AIAA presidential election
February 9, 2017
Getting NOAA's newest satellite into orbit was an odyssey all its own
