The Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft flies over the Atlantic Ocean carrying the Pegasus XL rocket with eight Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System spacecraft. The 45th Space Wing supported Orbital ATK's successful rocket launch Dec. 15 at 8:37 a.m. from the L-1011 carrier aircraft which took off from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. According to NASA, CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to 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. (Courtesy photo by NASA/Lori Losey)
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