Situational awareness

Operations planning, arrangements in the test ranges, and preparation of space vehicle launches require weather information to operate efficiently and safely. Phenomena affecting above mentioned operations include

  • thuderstorms
  • heavy rain
  • fog
  • wind shear
  • jet streams
  • turbulence

Climatological data and NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction) models provide forecasts for general planning. Local weather observations are essential to close the gap between present weather and NWP model forecasts. This can be done by combining various data sources including

  • weather radar observations
  • surface data measurements
  • lightning detection
  • atmospheric profiling

Vaisala provides a wide range of observation systems with sophisticated application software for now casting. Especially Vaisala dual polarity weather radar with IRIS software provides several weather products covering wind field, gust warnings, and turbulence warnings. HYDRO CALSS program segregates nonmeteorological returns from meteorological ones. It gives a five level classification of the type of the precipitation.

Radar wind profilers can provide continuous profiles of winds aloft. Depending on the frequency range, pulse width and power aperture they can measure profiles from 100 meters up to about 18 km. Associated LAP-MOM and GRAPH-XM program products cover, in addition to the wind profile,  information melting layer and CBL (mixing layer) depth. 

Vaisala Thunderstorm products provide local real-time lightning systems and sofware to monitor the development and dissipation of overhead lightning threats, thunder storm development, and tools to forecast storm path and intensity. Vaisala ALARM sotware displays electric field intensity measurements and real-time lightning flash data.

Vaisala DigiCora Sounding system with RS92 family radiosondes provides high accuracy and good vertical resolution atmospheric profile from the surface up to the altitudes. The high speed temperature and relative humidity sensors reveal details of small scale phenomena of the atmosphere otherwise impossible to measure.

 

Vaisala LAP®-3000 Lower Atmosphere Wind Profiler

Wind profiler providing vertical profiles of horizontal wind speed and direction, and vertical wind velocity up to an altitude of 3 km above ground level.

Vaisala Dropsonde RD93

The Vaisala Dropsonde RD93 is a general-purpose dropsonde for high-altitude deployment from a variety of aircraft. It measures the atmospheric profiles of pressure, temperature, relative humidity and wind from the point of launch to the ground.

Vaisala TacMet® Tactical Meteorological Observation System MAWS201M

Vaisala TacMet® Tactical Meteorological Observation Station MAWS201M is a field-deployable, compact weather station for various field operations. Offering broad sensor capability, the portable MAWS201M system can be easily and rapidly deployed.

Vaisala Radiosondes

The Vaisala Radiosonde RS92 leads the modern era in sounding. It offers the world’s highest level of PTU measurement performance and continuous wind data availability.

Vaisala Radiotheodolite RT20

The Vaisala Radiotheodolite RT20 is an integral part of automated meteorological data acquisition for mobile field artillery and other land-based tactical defense units

Vaisala All Weather Precipitation Gauge VRG101

Vaisala All Weather Precipitation Gauge VRG101 features technical innovations that provide higher quality of measurement combined with lower life-cycle costs in all weather conditions.

Thunderstorm Warning Systems

Vaisala Thunderstorm Warning System is a modular lightning detection system designed to meet total lightning and cloud-to-ground lightning information needs in meteorology, hydrology, electric power distribution, aviation, defense and telecommunications.

Vaisala Weather Transmitter WXT520

The Vaisala Weather Transmitter WXT520 measuring the six most essential weather parameters (wind speed and direction, liquid precipitation, barometric pressure, temperature, and relative humidity) in one fully integrated instrument with no moving parts. WXT520 replaces WXT510. Applications include weather stations, dense networks, buildings, golf courses, marinas, harbors, and hotels.