Article Posted on : - Oct 01, 2010

National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)

AURORA (BNS): NASA on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded two contracts worth more than $1.7 billion to Raytheon.

The contracts replaces previous government contracts worth approximately $1.4 billion for the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) successor to the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System programme.

JPSS includes satellites and sensors supporting next-generation civil weather and climate measurements.

The programme was created earlier this year when the US government restructured NPOESS into a civilian portion, JPSS, and a defense portion, the Defense Weather Satellite System (DWSS).

NASA also awarded Raytheon a separate JPSS contract to complete work on the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite.

The JPSS contract replaces the NPOESS contract for the final integration of the first flight unit and the remaining efforts for two additional sensors.

The initial VIIRS instrument was provided after comprehensive sensor qualification testing under the original NPOESS contract.

The JPSS Common Ground System award covers development of the command, control and communications segment; the interface data processing segment; operations and support; and system maintenance.