Pegasus XL CYGNSS Prelaunch News Conference

In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, NASA and industry leaders speak to members of the media during a prelaunch news conference for the agency’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. From left are: Christine Bonniksen, CYGNSS program executive in the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; and Tim Dunn, NASA launch director at Kennedy. The eight CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data will help scientists probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.