NOAA Ocean Drone Captures Video From Inside Hurricane Sam: WATCH

WASHINGTON, DC — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this weekend released drone footage captured from a place no drone has gone before: the inside of a hurricane.

Using an uncrewed vehicle called a Saildrone, NOAA collected video footage from inside Hurricane Sam, a category 4 storm heading north across the Atlantic Ocean. The drone battled 50-foot waves and winds greater than 120 mph to collect what the agency called "critical scientific data."

In the process, the ocean drone also provided "a completely new view of one of Earth’s most destructive forces," the agency said in a release.

The ocean drone is among a fleet of five that NOAA is using to gain insight into how tropical cyclones grow and intensify.

The goal is to gather data to better understand the development of hurricanes, which will help improve storm forecasting and save lives by allowing better preparedness in coastal communities, the agency said.