JACKSONVILLE, FL – In a surprising setback for hurricane forecasting, NOAA has confirmed there will be no deployment of autonomous Saildrone Explorers during the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
According to a CNN report, the company “was unable to bid” on a contract for this season.
The paused program leaves forecasters without one of the most valuable tools for understanding storm behavior where it matters most — at the ocean’s surface.
These Saildrones — robot sailing vessels bristling with sensors — made history in 2024 when they were launched from Fort George Island near Jacksonville.
Their mission: venture into the heart of hurricanes, capturing data at the air-sea interface, the critical zone where storms draw their fuel.
Unlike aircraft or satellites, which observe from higher altitudes or space, Saildrones provide direct measurements of wind, waves, temperature, and humidity where the ocean and atmosphere meet.
The absence of this data creates a blind spot.
As forecasters well know, conditions at the ocean’s surface determine whether a storm will intensify rapidly or fizzle.
The Saildrones’ unprecedented 2021 mission into Hurricane Sam offered dramatic proof of their value.
First-ever ocean video of conditions in the core of a major hurricane showed seas building into monstrous, chaotic waves as the Saildrone sailed directly into the tempest — capturing data that helped explain why forecast models had struggled to predict Sam’s behavior.
You can watch that extraordinary footage in our News4JAX report.
In addition to the scientific bounty, the Saildrone launches captured the public’s imagination.
When the first ocean drones departed Jacksonville in 2024, they did so with high hopes of revolutionizing storm prediction. That deployment video showcases how each season has been monitored by roving vessels until now.
Without Saildrones in the Atlantic this year, NOAA and hurricane specialists will have to rely on more traditional tools: satellite estimates, aircraft reconnaissance, and drifting buoys.
While each contributes valuable pieces to the puzzle, the forecast models will be missing high-resolution data from the storms’ surface this year.
The 2025 hurricane season is already predicted to be hyperactive. Losing Saildrone insights could make it harder to anticipate rapid intensification events or subtle shifts in storm tracks — scenarios that can mean the difference between adequate warning and dangerous surprises.