This is an image of
a Global Hawk plane
NASA
is using new technology to gather information and data from hurricanes to
better understand and predict deadly storms. They are using planes which are
referred to as Global Hawks and are flown unmanned, unlike the more commonly
used manned hurricane hunter planes. Global Hawks have a wingspan of 116 feet,
can stay in the air for up to 30 hours, and travel up to 11,000 miles. With
these planes they will be able to use high altitude, long distance drones that
can “spy,” or collect data, on the evolution of tropical storm intensity. These
planes allow them to collect data that they aren’t capable of getting with
manned aircrafts. The endurance of the drones is the difference between flying
over and visually seeing the storm and the ability to monitor behavior,
activities, and other changing information. NASA and others in collaboration
with the project hope to document entire lifecycles of tropical storms in hopes
to refine hurricane prediction and reduce the costs associated with both storm
damage and evacuation.
This is an image of
Tropical Storm Frank taken by a Global Hawk
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