QuikSCAT
Its primary mission was to measure the surface wind speed and direction over the ice-free global oceans via its effect on water waves.QuikSCAT was a "quick recovery" mission replacing the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT), which failed prematurely in June 1997 after just 9.5 months in operation.Because of its wide swath and lack of in-swath gaps, QuikSCAT was able to collect at least one vector wind measurement over 93% of the World's Oceans each day.QuikSCAT provided measurements of the wind speed and direction referenced to 10 meters above the sea surface at a spatial resolution of 25 km.Scatterometers such as QuikSCAT emit pulses of low-power microwave radiation and measure the power reflected back to its receiving antenna from the wind-roughened sea surface.Gravity and capillary waves on the sea surface caused by the wind reflect or backscatter power emitted from the scatterometer radar primarily by means of a Bragg resonance condition.σ0 varies with surface wind speed and direction relative to the antenna azimuth, incidence angle, polarization, and radar frequency.[6] The QuikSCAT project was originally budgeted at $93 million, including the physical satellite, the launch rocket, and ongoing support for its science mission.It recorded roughly four hundred thousand wind measurements daily, each covering an area 1,800 kilometers (1,100 mi) in width.[6] Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the NSCAT team jointly managed the project of construction of the satellite at the Goddard Space Flight Center.[8] The newly constructed satellite was set to launch on a Titan II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.Shortly after, the solar arrays were deployed and connection was established with the satellite at 8:32 pm PDT with a tracking station in Norway.On July 7, eighteen days after take-off, the scatterometer was turned on and a team of 12 personnel made detailed reviews of function of QuikSCAT.[9] Many operational numerical weather prediction centers began assimilating QuikSCAT data in early 2002, with preliminary assessments indicating a positive impact.[16] This followed a battery anomaly in which the spacecraft was temporarily unable to perform nominal science observations due to limited power.
Earth observationCOSPAR IDSATCAT no.Ball AerospaceTitan II(23)GVandenbergSLC-4WGeocentricSun-synchronousSemi-major axisEccentricityPerigee altitudeApogee altitudeInclinationPeriodArgument of perigeeMean anomalyMean motionSeaWindsEarth observation satellitescatterometerwind speeddirectionwater wavesADEOS-2ground trackEuropean Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)MetOp-AMetOp-BOceansat-2Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)Ku-bandSun-synchronous orbitBragg resonanceADEOS-1Titan (rocket family)Jet Propulsion LaboratoryGoddard Space Flight CenterBall Aerospace & Technologies Corp.Titan IIVandenberg Air Force BaseBaja California Peninsulanumerical weather predictionassimilatingNational Centers for Environmental PredictionEuropean Centre for Medium-Range Weather ForecastsNational Hurricane CenterOcean Prediction CenterNational Weather ServiceSouthern Oceanbinary universal form for the representation of meteorological data (BUFR)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NOAA/NESDIS)Hurricane KatrinaGulf of Mexicotropical cycloneswestern Pacific basinBill ProenzaISS-RapidScatEarth Observing SystemEuropean Remote-Sensing SatelliteBibcodeEuclidPsycheACRIMSATAtmospheric infrared sounderDeep Space Atomic ClockGRACE-FOInSightKeck observatoryLarge Binocular TelescopeMars OdysseyMars 2020Perseverance roverIngenuity helicopterMars Reconnaissance OrbiterMars Science LaboratoryMicrowave limb sounderMulti-angle imaging spectroradiometerSoil Moisture Active PassiveTropospheric Emission SpectrometerVoyager programVoyager 1Voyager 2Cassini-HuygensDeep ImpactDeep Space 1Deep Space 2ExplorersGalileospacecraftGenesisHerschelJason-1KeplerMagellanMarinerMars Climate OrbiterMars Cube OneMars ObserverMars PathfinderMars Polar LanderMars Global SurveyorMars Exploration RoversSpirit roverOpportunity roverNear-Earth Asteroid ScoutPhoenixPioneerRangerRosettaSeasatShuttle Radar Topography MissionSolar Mesosphere ExplorerSpaceborne Imaging RadarSpitzer Space TelescopeStardustSurveyorTOPEX/PoseidonUlyssesVikingWide Field and Planetary CameraWide Field Infrared ExplorerLunar FlashlightEuropa ClipperNancy Grace Roman Space TelescopeSPHEREx