NOAA hurricane researchers have added a new tool to their toolbox. For the first time, an Area-I Altius-600 uncrewed aircraft system was deployed into a hurricane by scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory while onboard a NOAA WP-3D Orion Hurricane Hunter aircraft (N42RF, “Kermit”).
This uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) is capable of operating in low- and medium-altitude maritime environments, areas of the storm too dangerous for humans to go, and features a range of 275 miles while traveling at speeds of up to 100 mph. The UAS or drone, designed to handle considerable damage, has its actions controlled through onboard programming and/or by aircraft-based operators. On September 28, 2022, the Hurricane Hunters transected Category-4 Hurricane Ian during a period of rapid intensification. Despite extreme turbulence, the crew successfully launched the 27-pound drone, which then completed a two-hour mission, acquiring critical measurements to understand these complex storm systems.
Al soltarse, la aeronave sin tripulación desplegó sus 8 pies de envergadura y adquirió una fijación central en el ojo del huracán a 4.500 pies. A continuación, descendió a 3.000 pies dentro del ojo para recoger los valores de temperatura, presión y humedad. A continuación, la tripulación lo dirigió hacia la pared del ojo, donde completó una serie de circunnavegaciones a diferentes altitudes. A menos de 2300 pies sobre la superficie del mar, el UAS registró vientos de más de 187 kts (216 mph), y en un momento dado llegó a descender hasta 200 pies.
"Si [ALTIUS] sobrevive a esto, sobrevivirá a cualquier cosa", recordaba el Dr. Joe Cione, meteorólogo jefe de la NOAA para la nueva tecnología, mientras pensaba en el despliegue de ALTIUS."En su primer intento, ALTIUS hizo lo que esperábamos que hiciera: mantener a los humanosfuera de peligro".
Scientists can only study what can be measured. In extreme environments, like hurricanes, they are limited by the ability to deploy instrumentation safely. Fixed systems, like weather stations and buoys, collect data at ground level. Saildrones and gliders provide tracking data at and below the ocean surface, while Hurricane Hunter aircraft provide a mobile look from the upper levels of the atmosphere. Dropsondes released from aircraft gather high resolution data along a vertical path, and weather balloons provide the same, but rising from below. What drones like the Area-I Altius-600 allow is the ability to dive into the storm and track along lower altitudes.
Joe Cione added, that this was a “great effort by the Aircraft Operations Center pilots led by Adam Abitol and Flight Director Mike Holmes, who kept things together as we deployed the Altius 600. Area-I’s Patrick Sosa and Nick Liccini were incredible as they managed to keep the sUAS in the air despite not being used to operating in such extreme conditions. We had a very professional and experienced team out there that helped execute a pretty special mission. I was very happy and lucky to be part of it.”
Scientists at the National Hurricane Center, Environmental Modeling Center, and Hurricane Research Division at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory are now using the datasets provided by these new uncrewed aircraft to better understand the extremely turbulent hurricane boundary layer environment. This ability, coupled with other observing systems, helps clarify how these tropical systems function.
Misiones como ésta ayudan a mejorar la precisión de los futuros modelos de huracanes al conocer la trayectoria, la intensidad y la estructura de la tormenta. Esta información también ayuda a la NOAA a mejorar la seguridad de las operaciones y a orientar con mayor precisión las investigaciones futuras. En última instancia, estos modelos perfeccionados proporcionan mejores análisis al Centro Nacional de Huracanes, que elabora previsiones para el público.
This work is financially supported by NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Operations Center within the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.
For more information, contact aoml.communications@noaa.gov. Adapted from https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/news/altius-drone-flies-hurricane-ian/.