Projects

The Quick Scatterometer, or QuikScat, is an Earth satellite that provides valuable data on ocean winds and has revolutionized environmental predictions and weather forecasting. The satellite is part of NASA's Earth Observing System monitoring global climate change.

Designed as a speedy replacement for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-1 and its NASA Scatterometer instrument, QuikScat was conceived, developed and launched in less than two years.

QuikSCAT provided a decade (1999-2009) of wind stress measurements that are critical to ocean and climate research. Even though its antenna no longer spins, its pencil beam continue to provide valuable data to help calibrate India's OSCAT scatterometer to provide a continuous climate data record.