To learn about climate quality, scientists turn to drones

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT
Related press

Three oceanic drones will be launched from Rhode Island to cruise along the Gulf Stream, collecting data in harsh winter conditions that will be challenging for traditional crewed vessels. Saildrone, with headquarters in Alameda, California, builds wind and solar-powered autonomous vehicles to measure climate quality data and map distant oceans for scientists around Around the world. The company will launch the drone from Newport, Rhode Island on Thursday, on a six-month mission. The goal is to gather the information needed to improve weather forecasting and calculate how much man-made carbon dioxide the Gulf Stream can absorb.