Meteorological satellites - both geostationary and non-geostationary - are used as forecasting tools, with real-time data providing both up-to- the-minute forecasts and long-term climate monitoring. The technology was front and centre at Space-Comm Expo 2022, with aviation leaders keen to hear more about how it can help airlines achieve operational efficiencies and improve situational awareness for pilots. At the Expo was BAE Systems, which is using state-of-the-art sensor technology to observe atmospheric conditions and communicate that information to those on the ground, including airlines and air traffic control centres. The company's Midwave infrared sounder for temperature and humidity in a constellation for winds - dubbed MISTiC Winds - improves short- term weather forecasting with a miniature high-resolution, wide field, thermal spectrometry instrument. The technology's diminutive size and mass, as well as the minimal cooling requirements, mean it can be accommodated onboard a small micro-satellite. This allows the instrument to operate in a low- Earth-orbiting constellation, bringing it 50 times closer to the atmosphere than a satellite would be in standard geostationary orbit. MISTiC Winds, which is being targeted for use in promoting airline and air traffic control awareness, is expected to be particularly useful when it comes to observing severe weather, and BAE says its 3D-wind observations will enable significant cost reductions for short-term weather forecasts.
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