Hardware Podcasts

116. Eye of The Storm: NASA’s New Weather & Tropical Storm Tracking Sensors

The Next Byte Podcast · 4 Apr 2023 · 26m

What this episode covers

Daniel and Forbode discuss NASA’s CalVR and Tempest satellites, developed by JPL engineers including Shannon Brown, which replace the legacy WindSat system. They highlight how leveraging flight spares from the Jason 3 and Tempest D missions allowed the team to deliver the project 27 months on time and under budget, significantly reducing mass and power consumption. The hosts emphasize how software algorithms replaced complex mechanical hardware, enabling the sensors to penetrate storm eyes and provide critical data for tracking tropical cyclones like Cyclone Mandus.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
NASA, SpaceX
Products
CalVR, Tempest, WindSat, Jason 3, Tempest D
Also
International Space Station, Shannon Brown

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