Invention of Doppler Radar

This NASA video segment gives an inside look at another useful NASA technology, Doppler radar. Between mid-1960 and mid-1980 airplane fatalities were often due to the effects of hazardous wind shears during a plane's landing and take off. These winds, also known as microbursts, occur when a column of sinking air rapidly cools, creating intense downbursts of powerful winds. This video segment describes how NASA's Wind Shear Program and the FAA worked together to invent a sensor to warn pilots about microbursts so the winds could be avoided. Color animation supports the presentation. Credit: NASA