Rocket Lab Successfully Launches NASA’s First TROPICS Storm-Monitoring Mission

Rocket Lab has successfully launched the first TROPICS mission for NASA from New Zealand. The mission involves two cubesats that will monitor hurricanes, with a total of four cubesats set to be launched in the TROPICS constellation. The satellites will improve the timing of NASA’s storm tracking by travelling over a particular storm about once per hour, compared to the current availability of once every six hours. The data gathered will provide information to models that help determine how a storm is changing over time, which in turn helps to improve forecasts from partners such as the National Hurricane Center and Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The second mission is scheduled to launch in approximately two weeks.