Adding another crucial sensor to its growing network, the US-based weather intelligence company Tomorrow Companies Inc. (Tomorrow.io) successfully launched its Tomorrow-S7 satellite on April 21, 2025. This compact satellite is designed to bolster the company’s efforts in revolutionizing global weather forecasting and climate adaptation.
Tomorrow-S7 hitched a ride to space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission.
The launch took place from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, at 8:48 PM EDT (00:48 UTC on April 22). The satellite is destined for a low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of approximately 515 km with a 45-degree inclination.
Identified as the seventh satellite in the Tomorrow Microwave Sounder (TMS) series, Tomorrow-S7 is a small 6U CubeSat, weighing around 12 kg. Its primary mission is to provide detailed, all-weather profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity. Using passive microwave sensors, it can gather crucial data even in severe weather conditions where optical sensors might be obscured.
Tomorrow-S7 is a key component of Tomorrow.io’s ambitious plan to build the “Resilience Platform” constellation. This planned network aims to eventually comprise over 30 small satellites, featuring a mix of:
1. Passive Microwave Sounders (like Tomorrow-S7): These satellites measure naturally emitted microwave radiation to determine temperature and water vapor content throughout the atmosphere.
2. Active Radar Satellites (like the previously launched Tomorrow-R1 and R2 pathfinders): These satellites send out radar pulses to map precipitation structures (rain, snow) within clouds.
By combining data from both types of instruments, Tomorrow.io intends to create a comprehensive, rapidly refreshing, global view of weather systems. The approach aims to fill critical data gaps, particularly over oceans and less-developed regions, leading to significantly improved weather forecasting accuracy and enhanced climate resilience insights for various industries and governments.
The Tomorrow Microwave Sounder instrument aboard Tomorrow-S7 listens to specific microwave frequencies emitted by oxygen and water vapor molecules. Analyzing these signals allows scientists to deduce temperature and humidity levels at different altitudes. This data is vital for understanding atmospheric stability, storm development, and moisture transport.
Tomorrow.io integrates this unique space-based data into its proprietary weather models, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to generate hyperlocal forecasts and actionable weather intelligence.
The insights derived are valuable for sectors such as aviation, agriculture, energy, logistics, and disaster management, enabling better preparation and adaptation strategies in the face of increasingly volatile weather patterns.
With an expected operational lifespan of at least three years, Tomorrow-S7 represents another step forward in Tomorrow.io’s mission to provide unprecedented weather and climate security for organizations and governments worldwide.
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