OUT OF THE BLUE

SeaHawk-1 is a game-changer for collecting ocean color data

by Krissy Vick

The SeaHawk-1 Cubesat, UNCW’s first nanosatellite, was hatched under the vision and leadership of Morrison, along with his team of international partners, fellow UNCW faculty members and the help of the UNCW Cubesat Club. This low-cost, lightweight, mini satellite now soars in space, orbiting Earth 15 times a day, delivering laser-sharp images of the ocean’s vibrant color variations.

After 15 years of service to the university and a lifetime devoted to higher education, John Morrison, professor of physics and physical oceanography, officially retired in June, leaving a legacy that has the potential to transform how scientists study the ocean.

The SeaHawk-1 Cubesat, UNCW’s first nanosatellite, was hatched under the vision and leadership of Morrison, along with his team of international partners, fellow UNCW faculty members and the help of the UNCW Cubesat Club. This lowcost, lightweight, mini satellite now soars in space, orbiting Earth 15 times a day, delivering laser-sharp images of the ocean’s vibrant color variations.

The satellite project launched in 2015, funded by a $4,315,000 five-year grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Partnering with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Hawk Institute for Space Sciences, University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Cloudland Instruments and Clyde Space, UNCW formed the Sustained Ocean Color Observations using Nanosatellites project, known as SOCON.

Outer Banks

“We have the best people in the world working with us,” said Morrison, who plans to stay involved with the project as a consultant. “The data collected by SeaHawk-1 is important enough to the science community that NASA made it a top 15 priority out of about 100.”

SeaHawk-1 Cubesat

Hawkeye Sensor Imaging

Florida Keys

Cuba and the Bahamas Netherlands and Belgium San Francisco and Monterey Bay

The team expects the SeaHawk-1 to be a game-changer for collecting ocean color data. The shoebox-sized satellite houses a sensor they named HawkEye that produces images 100 times better than any existing orbiting satellite. While breathtakingly beautiful, each of these images contain 100MB of invaluable scientific data that ocean color researchers can use to study a wide array of topics such as climate change, pollution, fishery exploration, at-risk marine species such as loggerhead turtles and the coastal impact of major weather events like hurricanes. While developing the HawkEye sensor, the team stayed true to the Cubesat philosophy, which emphasizes using inexpensive, off-the-shelf parts. Using the sensor from a color scanner in their design, the Seahawk-1 is able to capture unprecedented high-resolution images from more than 350 miles away. Calling the project a “tremendous mission,” Morrison said, “It has met every scientific goal. We were able to prove the concept, build the sensor, launch it, and now we are using it. To be honest, we didn’t know if it would ever launch.” SeaHawk-1, travelling at a speed of 7,000 miles per hour, has captured more than 600 images that are already archived and ready for use. It will continue to collect about 100 images per week that will be downloaded from space to NASA stations in Virginia and Alaska. Seeing the project fully evolve from the funding stage to the design, build and launch phases, and finally receiving the images just as he was about to retire has been a career highlight for Morrison. “I’ve been working with remote sensing research for years. It is so satisfying to think about the long-term educational impact this project will have and how useful these images will be.”