Fri, Dec 18, 2015
Would Boost The Jason-3 Satellite For NOAA From Vandenberg AFB
SpaceX is planning a return to operations this week with a launch of a group of 11 ORBCOMM satellites Saturday night ... if a static fire test goes well. But the company is also looking ahead to a launch for NOAA in January from Vandenberg AFB in California.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that the the California launch would boost the Jason-3 spacecraft into orbit for NOAA. According to the NOAA website, Jason-3 is designed to maintain long-term satellite altimetry observations of global sea surface height. These data provide critical ocean information that forecasters need to predict devastating hurricanes and severe weather before they arrive onshore. Over the long term, Jason-3 will help us to track global sea level rise, an increasing threat to the resilience of coastal communities and to the health of our environment.
Jason-3’s highly accurate altimetry measurements will be used for a variety of scientific, commercial and operational applications, including:
- Hurricane intensity forecasting
- Surface wave forecasting for offshore operators
- Forecasting tides and currents for commercial shipping and ship routing
- Coastal forecasting for response to environmental problems like oil spills and harmful algal blooms
- Coastal modeling crucial for marine mammal and coral reef research
- El Niño and La Niña forecasting
NOAA had originally hoped to launch Jason-3 back in August, according to the paper, but the failure of a Falcon 9 booster on an ISS resupply mission delayed that launch until SpaceX could resolve that problem.
(Image provided by NOAA)
More News
Takeoff Roll The process whereby an aircraft is aligned with the runway centerline and the aircraft is moving with the intent to take off. For helicopters, this pertains to the act>[...]
“We’re proud of the hard work that went into receiving this validation, and it will be a welcome relief to our customers in the European Union. We couldn’t be mor>[...]
Also: 1800th E-Jet, Uncle Sam Sues For Landing Gear, Embraer Ag Plane, Textron Parts A friend of the family reported that Lt. Col. (Ret.) Richard Glenn Rutan flew west on Friday, M>[...]
Also: Virgin Galactic, B-29 Doc to Allentown, Erickson Fire-Fighters Bought, FAA Reauthorization After dealing with a big letdown after the unexpected decision by Skyreach to disco>[...]
"Aircraft Spruce is pleased to announce the acquisition of the parts distribution operations of Wag-Aero. Wag-Aero was founded in the 1960’s by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the >[...]