A critical antenna aboard the QuikSCAT satellite has apparently ceased to operate properly. Below is an excerpt about the SeaWinds instrument with further details to be found below the image.

The SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over Earth’s oceans.

Why is this particular satellite and its instruments so important? Its especially useful data for tropical cyclones. A good example of what the information looked like can be seen here.

Now, this wouldn’t be a problem if the US had another satellite in orbit that has the same capabilities, we don’t. Heck, we don’t even have a replacement scheduled anytime soon and the loss of the data that QuikSCAT provides would be a serious blow to our forecasting capabilities.

A spinning antenna on NASA’s QuikSCAT satellite has failed after more than a decade of operations, leaving weather forecasters without a critical tool to measure winds inside distant hurricanes and adding fuel to a political firestorm on a potential replacement.

Read More…