For the first time in history, Chinese scientists launched a rocket to observe weather from an unmanned semi-submersible submarine. A rocket sonde that was launched by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
What is a rocket sonde? It is a system for atmospheric observations that consists of a rocket that launches instruments that can make weather observations up to an altitude of 75,000 m. It is a package of meteorological or other scientific tools which is carried to the upper atmosphere by rocket and then released and allowed to float down by parachute, transmitting automatic radio measurements of the surrounding atmosphere. Basically, a sonde carried up by a missile.
This rocket sonde is launched by Chinese scientists to study the weather more minutely and observe the area which is beyond the range of weather balloons.
Launched from a long-duration unmanned semi-submersible vehicle, this rocketsonde can be used under severe oceanic conditions which will be more economical and applicable in the future – Hongbin Chen, A Chinese scientist
Earlier ocean-based platforms like Ships and satellite aircraft were mainly used to collect the required data, which were logistically expensive and impractical to deploy. However, the data collected were also patchy and therefore unreliable for marine and meteorological research.
The Chinese team so now plans to use unmanned semi-submersible vehicles to provide a network of observations at sea to extend weather data over the ocean. This can help predict when and where dangerous weather phenomena, including typhoons and hurricanes, will happen.
With the help of the specially equipped USSVs that will provide marine meteorological data, researchers hope to hurricane fill some of the data gaps, thus providing the scientists to make better predictions and monitoring oceanographic phenomena.
