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]
QuikSCAT Media
Launch of the Titan II on June 19, 1999
Image of Antarctica produced by the SeaWinds instrument on May 24, 2000
QuikSCAT image of Hurricane Katrina on August 28, 2005, over the Gulf of Mexico
The last image produced from QuikSCAT data (placed on top of two GOES images) shortly before the antenna stopped spinning. Note the small area where wind data is present in comparison the area covered by the image.
References
- ↑ "Aging satellite worries hurricane forecasters". MSNBC.com (Associated Press). 2007-03-16. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17649026. Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ↑ Gresko, Jessica (2007-06-14). "Hurricane Satellite Could Fail Anytime". San Francisco Chronicle (Associated Press): A17. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/12/national/a123430D90.DTL&hw=quikscat&sn=001&sc=1000. Retrieved 2007-06-14.[dead link]
- ↑ Merzer, Martin (2007-06-16). "Candid storm chief gets a lashing". The Miami Herald (The Miami Herald). http://www.miamiherald.com/569/story/141782.html. Retrieved 2007-06-17.