Welcome to Launch Day for NASA’s TROPICS

It’s launch day for NASA’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission! A pair of small satellites wait atop a Rocket Lab Electron rocket for liftoff from Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand. This launch, named Rocket Like A Hurricane, is the first of two planned launches, each sending a pair of shoebox-sized satellites, called CubeSats, to low-Earth orbit, where they will more frequently collect data to help increase understanding of these deadly storms and improve tropical cyclone forecasts complementing other NASA and partner satellites, including the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP).

A two-hour launch window opens at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, May 7, (1 p.m. Monday, May 8, New Zealand Standard Time).

Together the two launches will attempt to place four CubeSats in two equally spaced orbital planes, so they are spread over the globe for optimal coverage. The CubeSats will study the formation and development of tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes in the Atlantic and typhoons in the West Pacific. The full TROPICS constellation will make observations more often than what is possible with current weather satellites. When they reach orbit, these TROPICS satellites will join the TROPICS Pathfinder satellite which is already in orbit.

All four TROPICS satellites need to be deployed into their operational orbit within a 60-day period. The TROPICS satellites will cover the part of the Earth where tropical cyclones form and will work in concert to improve observations of the powerful storms. The distribution of the satellites means that one should pass over any spot in an area stretching from the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States to the southern coast of Australia about once an hour. TROPICS will provide data on temperature, precipitation, water vapor, and clouds by measuring microwave frequencies, providing insight into storm formation and intensification. This new data, coupled with information collected from other weather satellites, will increase understanding of tropical cyclones, and should improve forecasting models.

Follow launch updates on this blog and stay connected with the mission on social media.

Twitter: @NASA_LSP, @NASAEarth, @NASAKennedy, @NASA, @RocketLab
Facebook: NASA, NASA LSP, RocketLabUSA
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAEarth, @RocketLabUSA

Weather Unfavorable for Launch of NASA’s TROPICS Mission

Launch of NASA’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission is delayed due to a weather front headed toward Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex-1 in Mahia, New Zealand.

Rocket Lab will assess the weather as it evolves over the weekend and confirm a new target date soon.

This launch is the first of two planned launches, each sending a pair of shoebox-sized satellites, called CubeSats, to low Earth orbit. TROPICS will provide data on temperature, precipitation, water vapor, and clouds by measuring microwave frequencies, providing insight into storm formation and intensification. Originally, Rocket Lab was targeting 9 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 30 (1 p.m. New Zealand Standard Time, Monday, May 1) for the launch.

Follow launch updates on this blog and stay connected with the mission on social media.

Twitter: @NASA_LSP, @NASAEarth, @NASAKennedy, @NASA, @RocketLab

Facebook: NASA Earth, NASA, NASA LSP, RocketLabUSA

NASA Awards Phantom Launch Services Task Order for CSLI Mission

NASA logo

NASA has awarded Phantom Space Corp. four task orders to launch four CubeSat Launch Initiative missions as part of the agency’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. The CubeSats will launch no earlier than 2024 on Phantom’s Daytona rocket.

Building on NASA’s previous procurement efforts to foster development of new launch vehicles for NASA payloads, VADR provides Federal Aviation Administration-licensed commercial launch services for payloads that can tolerate higher risk. By using a lower level of mission assurance, and commercial best practices for launching rockets, these highly flexible contracts help broaden access to space through lower launch costs.

Phantom is one of 13 companies NASA selected for VADR contracts in 2022. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contracts.