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Michael Braukus/Doc Mirelson
Headquarters, Washington
202/358-1979
Kathy Barnstorff
Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
757/864-9886/344-8511
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Jan. 30, 2006
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RELEASE: 06-036
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NASA TEST PROVIDES PILOTS WITH BETTER WEATHER FORECASTS
Weather forecasters in the middle of the United States are making
better local predictions for pilots and others thanks to an airborne
sensor being tested by NASA's Aviation Safety Program.
Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., led the
team that designed, built and equipped dozens of Mesaba Airlines
aircraft with the Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Report
instrument. Mesaba is a Northwest Airlink affiliate, headquartered in
Minneapolis. The airline mainly flies shorter commuter routes.
The instrument allows aircraft to automatically sense and report
atmospheric conditions. Observations are sent by satellite to a
ground data center that processes and distributes up-to-date weather
information to forecasters and pilots.
"Initial research shows the airborne sensor makes a 10 to 20 percent
improvement in forecast error in numerical models and that's just
with temperature," said Taumi Daniels, NASA project leader. The
sensor also measures humidity, pressure, winds, icing and turbulence
with the help of location, time and altitude provided by built-in
Global Positioning System technology.
Large airliners fly above most weather and collect limited atmospheric
data. When equipped with the weather sensor, regional aircraft, which
typically fly below 25,000 feet, can provide more information. The
information the team collects can also benefit weather models and
forecasts, because it increases the number of observations in the
lower atmosphere. There are only 70 weather balloon sites in the
continental United States that collect temperature, wind and moisture
data from twice-daily atmospheric soundings. The experiment added 800
more daily atmospheric soundings.
"Meteorologists at the National Weather Service have found the
Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Report to be useful in
forecasting severe thunderstorms, dense fog, precipitation types of
winter storms and low-level wind shear," said Richard Mamrosh,
National Weather Service meteorologist in Green Bay, Wis. "In
summertime its best use is in determining if and when thunderstorms
might develop. In wintertime it really helps in determining whether a
storm will bring sleet, freezing rain or snow," he added.
Industry, meteorologists, researchers and scientists are part of the
partnership analyzing data. The partners include: AirDat L.L.C.,
Morrisville, N.C.; Federal Aviation Administration and National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington; National Center
for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo.; Massachusetts Institute of
Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Mass.; Meteorological
Service of Canada, Montreal; UK MET Office, London; and
Meteorological Network of Europe, Toulouse, France.
The program is part of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate. The focus of the program is on the way vehicles are
designed, built, operated, and maintained. The program is developing
principles, guidelines, concepts, tools, methods, and technologies to
address four areas: aircraft aging and durability; integrated
intelligent flight deck technologies; integrated vehicle health
management; and integrated resilient aircraft control.
For information about NASA's aeronautics research on the Web, visit:
http://www.aerospace.nasa.gov
For information about NASA and agency programs on the web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home
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