QuikSCAT
The QuikSCAT (Quick Scatterometer) is an earth-observing satellite that provides wind speed and direction information over oceans to NOAA. It is a "quick recovery" mission to fill the gap created by the loss of data from the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) that was lost in June 1997. It is in a sun-synchronous low-earth orbit.
 QuikSCAT | |
| Organization | JPL, NASA |
|---|---|
| Mission Type | Earth observation |
| Contractor | Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. |
| Satellite of | Earth |
| Launch | June 19, 1999 on a Titan II |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| Mission duration | 2–3 years |
| Mass | 971 kg (launch) |
| Webpage | winds.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/quikscat/ Archived 2007-08-20 at the Wayback Machine |
| Orbital elements | |
| Semimajor Axis | 7180.8 km |
| Eccentricity | 0.00014 |
| Inclination | 98.6 degrees |
| Orbital Period | 100.93 minutes |
| Right ascension of the ascending node | 178.47 degrees |
| Argument of perigee | 47.4 degrees |
| Instruments | |
| SeaWinds | microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction |
Because of the 2003 failure of the ADEOS II satellite that was meant to succeed the NSCAT, QuickSCAT is currently the only US-owned instrument in orbit that measures surface winds over the oceans.[1] The European Space Agency has its own scatterometers in orbit, such as Envisat.
However, because it is now running on a backup transmitter and having other problems, this satellite could fail at any moment, putting risk at weather forecasts for possibly dangerous tropical cyclones.[2]
In early June 2007, Bill Proenza, Director of the National Hurricane Center in Florida, came under fire for criticizing his NOAA superiors for not creating a back-up plan for replacing the capabilities provided by this satellite.[3]
References
change- ↑ "Aging satellite worries hurricane forecasters". MSNBC.com. Associated Press. 2007-03-16. Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ↑ Gresko, Jessica (2007-06-14). "Hurricane Satellite Could Fail Anytime". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. pp. A17. Retrieved 2007-06-14.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Merzer, Martin (2007-06-16). "Candid storm chief gets a lashing". The Miami Herald. The Miami Herald. Retrieved 2007-06-17.