The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has fielded six small satellites in efforts to optimize the accuracy of weather forecasts and space weather monitoring.
The Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate smallsats gather "bent" signals from global positioning navigation systems through the use of radio occultation to secure information such as atmospheric pressure and temperature, NOAA said Monday.
The smallsats also work to collect data on the low-altitude ionosphere. Louis Uccellini, director at NOAA's National Weather Service, said the agency seeks to employ moisture measurements and wind vector data to identify the conditions that enhance or weaken hurricanes.
The COSMIC-2 program is a joint effort with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, the Taiwan National Space Organization and the American Institute in Taiwan.