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NASA's INCUS Mission Prepares for 2027 Launch

June 5, 2026

2 min read

Key Takeaways

NASA's INCUS mission will study tropical convective storms from space.
Three SmallSats will fly in low Earth orbit to observe storm dynamics.
Mission aims to improve understanding of storm formation and evolution.

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Strategic Implications

The INCUS mission may indicate a growing focus on space-based weather observation, which could enhance storm forecasting and mitigate loss of life and property damage. The mission's use of radar instruments suggests a significant investment in understanding convective mass flux, which may have broader implications for climate modeling and weather prediction.

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What Happened

Space-Based Survey to Study Tropical Convective Storms

NASA’s INCUS mission is on track for a 2027 launch, with two of the three SmallSats having completed assembly and testing. The mission will use spaceborne radar instruments to observe the dynamics of tropical convective storms, which provide more than half of the world’s precipitation. Led by principal investigator Sue van den Heever, the INCUS mission aims to improve understanding of where, when, and why convective storms form, and will explore how environmental factors correlate with storm development. The mission is part of NASA’s Earth System Observatory and is funded through the Earth Venture Mission-3 acquisition, as reported by NASA.

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