Orbital ATK’s L-1011 aircraft lands at Cape Canaveral’s Shuttle Landing Facility, carrying a Pegasus XL rocket topped by NASA’s eight CYGNSS ocean-wind measuring satellites. Pegasus was assembled and outfitted with its payload at Vandenberg Air Force Base ahead of a cross-country flight to set up for launch from the Atlantic Ocean, well clear of Florida’s Space Coast.

NASA’s eight CYGNSS ocean-wind measurement satellites are integrated on their cylindrical launch adapter at Vandenberg Air Force Base in preparation for launch atop an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket to begin a mission to study the dynamics of tropical storms by looking where no conventional sensors can collect regular data.

A winged Pegasus XL rocket is assembled at Vandenberg Air Force Base for the launch of NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) comprising eight satellites to accurately and frequently measure winds over the Earth’s oceans to learn more about tropical storm dynamics in improve hurricane forecasting models.

NASA’s eight CYGNSS (Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites are being assembled and tested for launch atop a Pegasus Rocket to begin frequent and accurate measurements of winds over the world’s oceans with particular interest in the dynamics of tropical storm intensification.