Behind every weather forecast—from your local, five-day prediction to a late-breaking hurricane track update—are the satellites that make them possible. Government agencies depend on observations from weather satellites to inform forecast models that help us prepare for approaching storms and identify areas that need evacuating or emergency first responders.  Weather satellites have traditionally been large,…

An experimental small satellite has successfully collected and delivered data on a key measurement for predicting changes in Earth’s climate. The Radiometer Assessment using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes (RAVAN) CubeSat was launched into low-Earth orbit on Nov. 11, 2016, in order to test new technologies that help to measure Earth’s radiation imbalance, which is the difference…