NOAA Deploys New Miniature C-Star Robots to Track and Improve Hurricane Forecasts

Two additional C-Stars are being held in Gulfport, Mississippi, ready for deployment when storms threaten the Gulf of Mexico later this hurricane season.

 

In a pioneering step toward enhancing hurricane prediction, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in collaboration with the University of Southern Mississippi and U.K.-based robotics company Oshen, has launched a fleet of small uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) known as C-Stars. Five of these cutting-edge ocean robots were deployed off the U.S. Virgin Islands on August 31, marking a milestone in real-time data collection for hurricane research and forecasting.

Two additional C-Stars are being held in Gulfport, Mississippi, ready for deployment when storms threaten the Gulf of Mexico later this hurricane season.

Understanding the Ocean-Atmosphere Connection

NOAA scientists stress that the interface between the ocean and the lower atmosphere holds the key to predicting how hurricanes intensify.

“Understanding weather conditions where the ocean surface meets the lower atmosphere is key to predicting hurricane intensity,” explained Greg Foltz, an oceanographer at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). “If these miniature uncrewed surface vehicles prove reliable, they could become a critical piece of NOAA’s hurricane observing system in the future.”

By operating directly in areas where hurricanes gather strength, C-Stars will provide unprecedented, near real-time data that could significantly sharpen forecasting models.

How the C-Star Works

Developed by Oshen, the C-Star is a four-foot-long, sailboat-shaped USV constructed from fiberglass. Unlike larger robotic vessels, C-Stars are compact, hand-deployable, and lightweight, making them easier to transport and launch using small boats such as fishing or charter vessels.

Key features include:

• Wind propulsion with backup electric motor thrusters for fine maneuvering.

• Solar-powered sensors measuring wind speed, wind direction, sea surface temperature, air pressure, air temperature, and relative humidity.

• Satellite transmission for real-time delivery of data to forecasters worldwide.

• Wave condition data and high-resolution imagery to be retrieved once the vehicles are recovered.

Oshen’s mission specialists in the U.K. will remotely pilot the fleet in coordination with NOAA scientists at AOML in Miami and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) in Seattle. Data collected will be automatically processed and distributed through the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Telecommunications System, making it accessible to international forecast centers.

A Flexible Tool for Extreme Weather

The C-Stars are one-sixth the size of conventional USVs used by NOAA in recent years. Their reduced size is an advantage — allowing for rapid deployment, reduced costs, and safer operations in extreme conditions.

According to Leila Hamdan, Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Southern Mississippi, the collaboration highlights the growing role of academic institutions in advancing marine technology: “We are excited by the role that C-Stars could play in improving hurricane forecasts, which have direct consequences for millions of people along the Gulf Coast. Our university brings expertise in autonomous systems and a long-standing partnership with Oshen and NOAA. This is a powerful opportunity to push the limits of innovation in ocean science.”

Past Experience and New Challenges

C-Stars are not entirely new to the oceans. They have previously been used in the U.S. and Europe for missions such as marine mammal monitoring, ocean weather studies, and climate research. They have successfully navigated stormy seas, including waves as high as 24 feet.

However, hurricanes present a much greater challenge due to their intensity, rapid changes, and chaotic ocean-atmosphere interactions.

“Although C-Stars have navigated storms with towering 24-foot waves, hurricanes are a whole new level of challenge — but if it works, the long-term potential is huge,” said Anahita Laverack, CEO of Oshen. “We believe these small USVs can transform how we observe and understand hurricanes, while keeping budgets under control.”

Expanding NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Portfolio

NOAA has been steadily broadening its use of uncrewed systems — both aerial and marine — to expand its capacity to monitor extreme weather and environmental change. These platforms complement traditional research vessels, buoys, satellites, and aircraft while reducing costs, enhancing safety, and extending coverage into remote or dangerous environments.

Beyond hurricane forecasting, NOAA currently employs uncrewed systems for:

• Seabed mapping to improve ocean navigation and exploration.

• Marine mammal and fishery stock assessments to guide sustainable management.

• Emergency response, including post-tornado damage assessments.

• Monitoring of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in coastal waters.

The C-Star fleet is the latest addition to this expanding toolkit, signaling NOAA’s commitment to harnessing innovation in the face of mounting climate-related challenges.

Looking Ahead

Over the next two months, the deployed C-Stars will operate experimentally across the western Atlantic and Gulf basins. NOAA has mapped their deployment zones using predictive models showing the likelihood of tropical storm-force winds during August–October 2025.

If successful, these trials could pave the way for larger fleets of C-Stars patrolling the Atlantic during hurricane season, enhancing predictive models and ultimately helping save lives and reduce economic losses.

As climate change intensifies storms, the combination of innovation, science, and international collaboration represented by the C-Star programme may prove vital in preparing vulnerable communities for the next generation of extreme weather events.