Watch: Saildrone Intercepts Hurricane Milton at Sea

As Hurricane Milton barreled towards Florida as a Category 3 storm, uncrewed Saildrone surface vehicles were already on the front lines, capturing crucial data near the storm’s core.

On Wednesday, while positioned 40 nautical miles from the eye of Hurricane Milton, one of the Saildrones reported wave heights of 28.12 feet and wind gusts reaching a staggering 75.95 mph.

The once-impossible feat is part of an ongoing collaboration between Saildrone and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Now in its fourth consecutive year, these uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) have ventured into the ferocious heart of hurricanes to deepen our understanding of how these storms develop, intensify, and track across the ocean.

This year’s mission is particularly ambitious. NOAA and Saildrone have deployed a fleet of 12 USVs, strategically stationed in six high-risk zones where hurricanes are likely to form. So far, the drones have successfully intercepted five hurricanes included Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene.

The Saildrone Explorer USVs, each 23 feet long, are equipped with a suite of sensors to measure everything from surface water temperatures to barometric pressure, wind speeds, and wave heights. To handle the brutal conditions of a major hurricane—winds over 110 mph and waves exceeding 50 feet—these vehicles are outfitted with a specialized, shorter “hurricane wing,” similar to a reefed sail on a sailboat.

What sets this year’s mission apart is its dual focus. While NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) are continuing their studies into how salinity impacts hurricane rapid intensification, they’ve added a new scientific angle to the mix. Two of the Saildrones are now carrying a sensor designed by NOAA to measure the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) between the ocean and atmosphere. This is groundbreaking research because it’s not fully understood how hurricanes influence the global carbon cycle—whether they enhance or inhibit the ocean’s ability to absorb CO2 during these extreme events.

“It’s not known how hurricanes affect the exchange of CO2 between the ocean and the atmosphere and how that impacts the global carbon budget,” explained Greg Foltz, a NOAA oceanographer and one of the mission’s lead scientists. “If we can get one of these USVs into a major storm, it would give us some of the first direct measurements of air-sea CO2 exchange inside a hurricane.”

Saildrone’s autonomous capabilities allow the USVs to sail prescribed routes, with Saildrone Mission Control and NOAA scientists guiding them based on real-time weather data. The insights gleaned from these missions are crucial as we face increasingly unpredictable and intense hurricane seasons.

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