Weather-radar satellite launched by Tomorrow.io
NewsMay 17, 2023
BOSTON, Massachusetts. The Tomorrow Companies launched its first satellite, Tomorrow-R1, and confirmed that is in operation in orbit, the company announced in a statement.
Launched on April 14 and orbiting 500 km above Earth in a polar orbit, Tomorrow-R1 is the first commercially built weather-radar satellite, the company says. The satellite carries a Ka-band radar designed for precipitation detection and crucial ocean parameters measurement, and the launch represents the initial phase in establishing the Tomorrow.io constellation of active and passive sensors, which aims to change global weather forecasting and climate observation.
The satellite was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a SpaceX Falcon 9. After a successful commissioning process, the radar payload is now operational and providing high-fidelity global precipitation measurements, according to the company. This data is being incorporated into Tomorrow.io's weather intelligence platform, the statement reads.
The company, which initially announced its space plans in February 2021, has won more than $20 million in contracts from the Department of Defense and is executing a collaborative R&D (research and development) agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the company says.
