Profilers/Sounders
WVSS
The water vapor sensing systems (WVSS) are integrated into external probes mounted on the nose of commercial Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Data from the WVSS will be used for weather forecasting models, helping aircraft avoid hazardous weather conditions, and helping the National Weather Service better predict dangerous weather conditions. Ultimately, the demand for an improved method of sensing water vapor at various altitudes is driven by the desire to improve the safety of air travel. Collected water vapor data will be distributed via the ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) system, a VHF air/ground data link, and sent remotely to weather database and modeling computers operated by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). [Summary provided by NOAA]