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NOAA teams up with Cowboy Space to test processing weather satellite data in orbit
In brief
NOAA's satellite service (NESDIS) has signed a two-year research agreement with Cowboy Space Corporation, a satellite company based in San Carlos, California, to test whether weather satellite data can be processed in orbit. The aim is to cut the time it takes for useful data to reach forecasters on the ground.
How the test will work
Today, satellites send large amounts of raw data down to Earth, where it is processed before forecasters can use it. NOAA said the test will check whether doing that processing in space, and sending down only the important, high-quality results, can save time and transmission resources. Under the agreement, Cowboy Space will fully fund, build, launch and operate a satellite called Reason-2, scheduled to launch in 2027, which will carry the company's computing payload.
NOAA will provide an existing open-source AI model and historical raw data from the VIIRS instrument, which flies on its Joint Polar Satellite System weather satellites. The two sides will write a report judging the quality of the processed data and whether the approach could work for future NOAA operations. NOAA stressed that the test data will not be used in its actual weather forecasts.
The company's first satellite
Cowboy Space launched its first satellite, Reason-1, on October 1, 2026. According to the company and NOAA, that mission is designed to demonstrate sending solar energy from space to Earth over the coming months. Company founder Baiju Bhatt described each mission as a step toward "data centers in orbit."
VSH take: this is a small, carefully fenced test, not a change to your local forecast. But if it works, the payoff is simple: fresher satellite data for forecasters when storms are building. You can already watch satellites and Earth from space on our Live Earth and Space tools, and the time zone converter helps when launch times are listed in UTC.
This is our own summary of an official announcement. ViralScopeHub is not affiliated with NOAA or Cowboy Space Corporation.
Why it matters
Faster satellite data could one day help forecasters issue earlier, more accurate warnings for storms and other hazardous weather.
People also ask
What is the NOAA and Cowboy Space agreement?
It is a two-year cooperative research and development agreement to test processing NOAA environmental satellite data in space so results reach forecasters faster.
When will the test satellite launch?
Cowboy Space's Reason-2 satellite, which will carry the computing payload, is scheduled to launch in 2027.
Will the test change NOAA weather forecasts?
No. NOAA said the data processed during the test will not be used in its forecasting operations.
Related free tools: Time Zone Converter
Sources
- NOAA NESDIS: NOAA and Cowboy Space Corporation to Test Faster Satellite Data Processing
- Cowboy Space: Our First Mission Takes Flight
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