One of the researchers involved with the project, João Tasso, told Lusa that the agreement with the US space agency would allow them to study oceanographic and meteorological phenomena “with a detail never managed before”, using satellites.

"The agreement was mainly due to the experience we have in the area of coordination" of autonomous vehicles, he said.

They intend to develop software to command and control multi-vehicle systems and new sensors for unmanned vehicles, developed by Porto University’s Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory, and the integration with the Mission Tools Suite from NASA-Ames Research Center (ARC).

The partnership involves about 30 researchers fro Porto University as well as NASA engineers and scientists.