NASA’s INCUS Satellites Advance Toward Launch

NASA’s INCUS (Investigation of Convective Updrafts) mission, led by Colorado State University, is scheduled for a 2027 launch from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The mission will deploy three coordinated satellites to perform the first space-based survey of tropical convective storm dynamics, specifically measuring the vertical motion of air and water.

The mission aims to solve a long-standing gap in atmospheric science by measuring convective mass flux. This process describes how air and water move vertically as storms develop and evolve, a factor that significantly influences weather but has remained largely unmeasured from space.

How will the INCUS satellites operate?

The mission utilizes three nearly identical satellites flying in tight coordination within low Earth orbit. According to NASA, the first and second satellites will be separated by 30 seconds, while the second and third will be separated by 90 seconds.

Each satellite carries a radar designed to observe the vertical motion of air and water. The middle satellite in the formation will also be equipped with a microwave radiometer to provide additional data on storm evolution.

This coordinated flight path allows the team to track the same convective systems with high temporal resolution. It transforms the satellites into a synchronized sensor array rather than isolated observers.

Who is developing the INCUS technology?

The mission is led by principal investigator Sue van den Heever at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. The project involves a broad coalition including scientists and engineers from 11 universities, three NASA laboratories, two industry partners, and seven other meteorological organizations, according to the INCUS mission website.

Hardware production is being handled by Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado. NASA reported that one of the three satellites completed its testing phase in late May 2026 in preparation for the upcoming launch.

The mission is funded through the Earth Venture Mission-3 (EVM-3) acquisition under NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. It also integrates into FALCON, a fleet of atmosphere-observing satellites that combines contributions from commercial partners, universities, and NASA centers.

Why does this mission matter for weather prediction?

The primary goal of INCUS is to determine why, when, and where tropical convective storms form. Scientists specifically want to understand why only a small fraction of these storms produce severe weather, according to the INCUS mission website.

By providing a tropics-wide investigation of convective mass flux, the mission will offer data to improve the capabilities of meteorological models. Better data on vertical transport helps researchers predict storm intensity and duration more accurately.

INCUS is part of a larger strategic effort known as NASA’s Earth System Observatory. This set of interconnected missions is designed to study the planet’s dynamic natural systems and their interactions.

What is the current launch timeline?

Current NASA documentation dated June 8, 2026, lists the launch for 2027. This represents a shift from earlier projections; the INCUS mission website had previously noted a scheduled deployment for 2026 in a post dated November 7, 2025.

The satellites will be launched from the Wallops Flight Facility. While the specific launch vehicle was not named in the NASA photojournal, the mission is designed to fly as a coordinated fleet to ensure the required timing gaps between the three spacecraft are maintained.