We are halfway through hurricane season, and just in time, the
University of Hawaii has started up a new satellite
communication facility. The satellite antenna and dish sit on
the roof of building 7 on the campus of Honolulu Community
College. At least 12 times a day it’s tracking one of six
satellites orbiting the earth. That means better and more
accurate information on the sky and ocean around us. This
satellite information is critical for our islands which are
isolated by water. "Like balloons that are launched from land
and surface stations, they’re plentiful on the mainland and
there’s a lot more data there, a lot more radars. Out on the
open ocean, we have very little data, so satellites are what we
have to rely upon," said Steven Businger, meteorology professor
at the UH Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and
Technology. Those weather loops seen on the news are made
available by geostationary satellites 25,000 miles away and the
Hawaii Forecast Office can only update that data every six
hours. T