Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX) Status

Tuesday, September 15, 1998

Tim Tyson
Media Relations Office
(256) 544-0994/0034
Tim.Tyson@msfc.nasa.gov
http://www.msfc.nasa.gov/news

Tuesday, September 15
9 a.m. EDT

Report #18

NASA's specially equipped ER-2 and DC-8 aircraft and the University of North Dakota's Citation are scheduled to take off from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., around 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 15, to collect information for the hurricane study, known as the Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-3).

Weather researchers participating in the study plan to use the mission to validate measurements taken by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite.

While the study's primary objective is to examine hurricanes, it also will help validate measurements taken by the rainfall-measuring satellite.

Launched in November 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission is a joint NASA and Japanese Space Agency mission to measure rainfall 35 degrees above and below the equator.

On Monday, Sept. 14, the DC-8 and the Citation left Patrick at 2 p.m. to pursue the satellite measurement validation portion of the study. The ER-2 -- also slated to fly -- was grounded because of high cross winds.

Results from the hurricane study could increase hurricane warning time and decrease the size of evacuation areas, as well as help calibrate the satellite's instruments.

The study is a cooperative effort of eight NASA centers, other government weather researchers and the university community.