NASA CYGNSS Pre-Launch Mission Status and Science Briefings

On December 10, a news briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida previewed the launch of NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) spacecraft.
CYGNSS is scheduled to take off aboard an Orbital Sciences ATK air-launched Pegasus XL launch vehicle at 8:24 a.m. EST Dec. 12. The rocket is scheduled for deployment over the Atlantic Ocean from Orbital’s L-1011 carrier aircraft.

CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the lifecycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The CYGNSS constellation consists of eight microsatellite observatories that will measure surface winds in and near a hurricane’s inner core, including regions beneath the eye wall and intense inner rain bands that previously could not be measured from space.

Status of Small Satellite Constellation Mission Discussed during Pre-launch Briefing

Science of Small Satellite Constellation Mission Previewed during Briefing