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Joint Polar Satellite System

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a collaborative program between the (NOAA) and the (NASA) that operates a series of polar-orbiting environmental satellites to deliver global observations essential for short- and long-term , severe weather prediction, and climate monitoring. Launched as the successor to earlier polar satellite systems, JPSS satellites orbit approximately 14 times per day in sun-synchronous polar orbits, providing twice-daily full global coverage of atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial conditions. The program includes a precursor satellite, Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (), launched in 2011, followed by the operational JPSS-1 (renamed ) in 2017 and JPSS-2 () in 2022, with JPSS-4 and JPSS-3 in development for launches in 2027 and 2032, respectively. Each satellite carries advanced instruments, such as the (VIIRS) for imaging land, ocean, and atmosphere; the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) for temperature and moisture profiles; the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) for all-weather atmospheric data; and the Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) for ozone monitoring, enabling the detection of phenomena like sea surface temperatures, rainfall, snow cover, fires, and atmospheric pollutants. These observations form the backbone of U.S. models, improving forecast accuracy for events such as hurricanes, blizzards, and wildfires by up to several days in advance. JPSS data also supports long-term climate research, including tracking sea ice extent, vegetation health, and Earth's energy imbalance through the upcoming Libera on JPSS-4. Managed by NOAA for operations and for development and launch, the system ensures continuity of environmental monitoring into the 2030s, complementing geostationary satellites for comprehensive global coverage.

Program Overview

Objectives and Scope

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a collaborative program between the (NOAA) and the (NASA) that provides polar-orbiting satellite observations essential for environmental data in the global observing system. Its core mission focuses on delivering timely data to support short-term (3-7 days in advance), long-term climate monitoring, and efforts, including the tracking of severe events like hurricanes through measurements. These observations enable improved public warnings, reduced loss of life and property from , and enhanced understanding of climate variability. Key objectives of JPSS include advancing by improving forecast accuracy via detailed atmospheric profiling of temperature, moisture, and pressure. The program also supports international search-and-rescue operations through integration with the COSPAS-SARSAT system, detecting distress signals from beacons worldwide. Additionally, it monitors concentrations and atmospheric aerosols to inform air quality assessments and initiatives, contributing to broader societal benefits like detection and tracking. The scope of JPSS encompasses a series of sun-synchronous satellites operating in an afternoon orbit that crosses the equator at approximately 1:30 PM local time, complementing morning-orbit constellations such as Europe's MetOp for comprehensive daily global coverage. Each satellite is designed for a minimum operational lifespan of 7 years, with planned overlaps between missions to maintain calibration continuity and uninterrupted data streams for long-term records. As the backbone of the U.S. National Weather Service's models, JPSS data provides critical inputs to global numerical weather prediction models, ensuring reliable observations for forecasting and climate analysis worldwide.

System Architecture

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) employs modular spacecraft buses: the Ball Configurable Platform 2000 for JPSS-1 and Northrop Grumman's LEOStar-3 platform for JPSS-2 and subsequent satellites, providing the foundational structure for hosting environmental observation payloads in sun-synchronous . These buses integrate essential subsystems, including a power system with deployable arrays capable of generating approximately 4 kW at end-of-life to support operations and recharge batteries during periods. Propulsion is handled by eight thrusters, each rated at 22 N, enabling maintenance and station-keeping maneuvers over the satellite's 7-year design life. functions are managed through an onboard data handling system that processes and issues commands for autonomous operations, ensuring reliable execution of scanning sequences. The sensor suite is integrated onto a stable platform within the bus, accommodating five primary instruments per , such as the (VIIRS), Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), and Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS). These instruments are mounted to minimize vibrations and achieve precise Earth scanning, supported by an that maintains pointing accuracy on the order of 0.03° using star trackers, gyroscopes, and reaction wheels. This configuration allows for continuous global coverage twice daily, with the platform's design facilitating thermal stability and among sensors. Ground integration occurs through the JPSS Common Ground System (CGS), a distributed network that receives via S-band for command uplink/downlink and X-band for high-rate science data transmission from the . The CGS processes at like the NOAA Satellite Operations , achieving a target of less than 3 hours from to delivery of environmental data records to users for and . This end-to-end flow supports seamless data routing and product generation across multiple missions. The architecture incorporates redundant subsystems across , , and communications to achieve high operational , mitigating single-point failures in the harsh . Additionally, it ensures compatibility with international partners, such as EUMETSAT's series, enabling data sharing and complementary observations for enhanced global monitoring.

Historical Development

Origins from NPOESS

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) was initiated in 1994 as a tri-agency effort involving the (NOAA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the (NASA), aimed at converging the separate polar-orbiting satellite programs of NOAA's Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and DoD's (DMSP) into a single system for enhanced environmental observations. This convergence sought to streamline operations by integrating the DMSP's early morning orbit and POES's afternoon orbit into a unified system with three orbital planes: early morning (~17:30 LTAN), mid-morning (~21:30 LTAN), and afternoon (~13:30 LTAN), reducing redundancy while supporting both civilian and military needs. However, the program encountered significant early challenges, including technical complexities in sensor integration, leading to a reduction in the planned instrument suite from six core sensors to five to mitigate risks and costs. By 2010, NPOESS had ballooned in cost from an initial estimate of approximately $7 billion to over $13.9 billion, driven by persistent schedule delays and technical setbacks, prompting a decision on February 1, 2010, to cancel the program. The restructuring separated the military and civilian components: assumed responsibility for the Defense Weather Satellite System (DWSS) to handle defense-specific requirements in the morning orbit, while NOAA and partnered to establish the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) as the civilian successor, focusing on afternoon-orbit observations for , , and . The JPSS program was allocated a life-cycle cost cap of $12.9 billion through 2028 to develop and operate four satellites, incorporating lessons from NPOESS to prioritize risk reduction and operational reliability. As a key precursor to JPSS, the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite—originally the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP)—was developed from 2002 to 2011 as a risk-reduction mission to test NPOESS technologies and bridge the observational gap left by the aging POES series. Launched on October 28, 2011, Suomi NPP demonstrated five critical NPOESS-derived instruments, ensuring data continuity for climate and weather applications while validating the architectures that would underpin JPSS. This transition marked a shift from the tri-agency collaboration's complexities to a more focused NOAA-NASA partnership, laying the groundwork for JPSS's sustained civilian environmental satellite capabilities.

Key Milestones and Launches

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program was officially established on February 1, 2010, following the cancellation of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), which had faced significant delays and cost overruns; this restructuring shifted responsibility to and NOAA for a civilian-focused polar satellite architecture. On September 24, 2010, awarded Corp. (now part of ) a contract valued at approximately $248 million to design and build the JPSS-1 spacecraft bus. The program's precursor, Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP), launched on October 28, 2011, aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7920-10C rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking the first flight of JPSS-compatible hardware. Initial on-orbit checkout and calibration of Suomi NPP's instruments were completed by early 2012, enabling the satellite to begin providing operational environmental data. In 2013, operational control of Suomi NPP transitioned fully to NOAA, solidifying its role as a bridge mission ahead of the core JPSS series. JPSS-1, later renamed NOAA-20 upon reaching orbit, launched on November 18, 2017, also on a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg, entering service after post-launch testing and achieving full operational status on May 30, 2018. The second core satellite, JPSS-2 (renamed NOAA-21), lifted off on November 10, 2022, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, reaching full operational capability by November 2023 following intensive calibration despite initial challenges. As of 2025, , , and remain fully operational, providing continuous afternoon-orbit coverage for global environmental observations. Development of JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 continues under contract modifications to , with JPSS-4 prioritized for launch in 2027 and JPSS-3 delayed to 2032 to optimize resource allocation and instrument integration. A audit by the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General identified cost growth in JPSS instrument contracts, including $81.6 million in overruns for the Cross-track Infrared Sounder on JPSS-1 and JPSS-2, alongside schedule delays of up to 21 months that impacted program planning.

Satellites

Suomi NPP

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite, originally designated as the NPOESS Preparatory Project, serves as the pathfinder mission for the (JPSS). Launched on October 28, 2011, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in aboard a Delta II rocket, it was designed to demonstrate and validate the JPSS instrument suite and ground processing systems while providing continuity for NASA's data records. The spacecraft, built by Corporation on the BCP-2000 bus, has a launch mass of 2,247 kg, a stowed height of 4.2 m, and a diameter of 1.21 m. It carries the core JPSS instruments—Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS)—along with the additional Clouds and the Earth's System () for Earth radiation budget measurements. As of November 2025, Suomi NPP remains fully operational well beyond its original five-year design life, which was projected to conclude around 2016, with subsequent extensions pushing its expected end-of-life to December 2028 based on available consumables and system health. The satellite operates in a at an altitude of 824 km and an inclination of 98.7°, enabling twice-daily global coverage of the Earth's polar regions. Its continued functionality has been supported by robust onboard systems, including a propulsion system for maintenance and a power subsystem generating up to 3,000 watts from deployable solar arrays. Suomi NPP provided critical unique contributions as the inaugural platform for several advanced sensors, marking the first on-orbit flight of VIIRS and CrIS, which enabled pre-operational testing of their capabilities for . During the commissioning phase of the first operational JPSS satellite (, launched in 2017), Suomi NPP ensured seamless data continuity for and analysis by delivering validated radiance products that bridged gaps from legacy systems. Although initially considered for additional instruments, its primary focused on atmospheric and surface observations, supporting long-term datasets essential for JPSS evolution. The satellite's performance has been exemplary, achieving over 99% data availability for key instruments like VIIRS across its mission lifetime, with minimal interruptions from anomalies such as the 2022 event, from which it fully recovered. This reliability has been pivotal in validating JPSS algorithms, particularly for cloud mask generation, optical depth retrievals, and atmospheric profile products, where Suomi NPP data demonstrated radiometric accuracy comparable to established sensors like MODIS and informed refinements for operational JPSS processing. Long-term monitoring confirms stable sensor responses, with VIIRS maintaining calibration stability within 2-3% for reflective solar bands, underscoring its role in enhancing global environmental data quality.

NOAA-20 (JPSS-1)

, originally designated as JPSS-1, was launched on November 18, 2017, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in aboard a Delta II 7920-10C rocket. The satellite has a launch mass of 2,540 kg and employs a spacecraft bus derived from the platform, with modifications to support a 7-year operational design life. Positioned in a sun-synchronous at approximately 824 km altitude, it completes 14 orbits per day, providing global coverage with an afternoon equator crossing time of around 1:30 p.m. local . As of November 2025, continues to operate nominally within the JPSS constellation, designated as the primary afternoon-orbit satellite for delivering critical environmental data to models. Early post-launch issues, including minor anomalies in the Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) such as degradations, were identified and resolved by 2020 through updated algorithms and remediation strategies documented in validation reports. These resolutions ensured sustained performance across its payload, which shares the core suite with and subsequent JPSS satellites for continuity in observations. NOAA-20's observations have significantly enhanced operational weather forecasting, particularly by supporting improvements in hurricane intensity predictions through better assimilation of atmospheric profiles and surface data into models like the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting system. By 2025, the satellite has contributed over 10 petabytes of archived data, enabling long-term climate analyses such as tracking Arctic sea ice extent and variability. Notably, NOAA-20 marks the first integration of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Flight Model 6 (CERES-FM6) within the JPSS series, providing advanced measurements of Earth's top-of-atmosphere radiation budget to refine energy balance models. Orbit maintenance maneuvers rely on a monopropellant hydrazine propulsion system for precise attitude control and station-keeping.

NOAA-21 (JPSS-2)

NOAA-21, originally designated JPSS-2, was launched on November 10, 2022, from in aboard a 401 rocket. The satellite has a launch mass of 2,540 kg and shares the core architecture of preceding JPSS satellites, including the Ball Aerospace-built spacecraft bus. It carries four key instruments: the (VIIRS), Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite-Nadir (OMPS-Nadir). A notable enhancement is the improved performance of the VIIRS Day/Night Band (DNB), which exhibits 40-60% reduced stray light contamination compared to the NOAA-20 instrument, enabling better low-light imaging for environmental monitoring. Following post-launch checkout, was declared fully operational on November 8, 2023, after successful activation and calibration of all instruments. By March 2024, it assumed the role of primary afternoon-orbit satellite in the JPSS constellation, with serving as secondary for redundancy in global observations. As of 2025, the satellite continues to provide reliable data from its sun-synchronous at approximately 824 km altitude, supporting continuous . NOAA-21's OMPS-Nadir instrument delivers enhanced global column measurements, including improved detection of UV-absorbing aerosols and trace gases for air quality assessment, building on heritage capabilities with higher-resolution spectral data. The VIIRS active product enables real-time identification of thermal anomalies at 375 m , aiding rapid response to wildfires by mapping fire extent and smoke plumes for . Data from has contributed to 2024 global climate assessments, informing analyses of temperature anomalies, extent, and atmospheric composition trends. The ATMS on NOAA-21 performs microwave sounding to derive and profiles, achieving vertical resolutions around 2 km in the to track dynamics essential for .

Future Satellites (JPSS-3 and JPSS-4)

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program continues with JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 to maintain operational continuity from satellites like , ensuring uninterrupted polar-orbiting observations for and climate monitoring. JPSS-4, the fourth satellite in the series and set to be renamed NOAA-22 upon reaching orbit, is targeted for launch readiness in 2027. This spacecraft represents an evolution in design, incorporating the core instrument suite of the (VIIRS), Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite-Nadir (OMPS-N), while introducing the Libera instrument as a dedicated broadband radiometer to measure Earth's imbalance. Libera, developed by , will detect trends in reflected solar radiation (0.3–5 μm) and emitted infrared radiation (5–50 μm), providing critical data for understanding and long-term climate variability. With a launch mass of approximately 2,540 kg and enhanced power generation capability of 1,932 W by end of life, JPSS-4 features upgraded power systems to support its instruments over a planned seven-year mission. JPSS-3, the subsequent satellite, began instrument development in 2018, with full progressing as of 2023, though its launch has been delayed to 2032 following a sequence switch with JPSS-4 to prioritize the Libera deployment. Unlike its predecessor, JPSS-3 will carry the standard four-instrument suite without a dedicated sensor, focusing instead on cost efficiencies through reused components and designs derived from JPSS-2 to reduce overall program expenses. This approach emphasizes streamlined production and heritage technologies to mitigate risks and control while maintaining data continuity for operational needs. The satellite's design also incorporates adaptations for compatibility with smaller launch vehicles, such as the SpaceX , aligning with evolving launch market capabilities. Together, JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 extend the program's operational coverage through at least 2040, with JPSS-3's expected end-of-life extending to 2041 or beyond, supporting global environmental observations amid resilience enhancements recommended in post-2020 program reviews. These future satellites respond to audits emphasizing cost management and system robustness, ensuring the JPSS backbone for models remains viable for decades.

Instruments

Core Observing Instruments

The core observing instruments on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites form the primary suite for acquiring environmental data on atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial phenomena, enabling continuous global monitoring essential for weather forecasting and climate analysis. These instruments—VIIRS, CrIS, ATMS, and OMPS—are deployed across the JPSS fleet, including on the precursor Suomi NPP satellite, to provide complementary measurements from visible to microwave wavelengths. Their design emphasizes high-resolution imaging and sounding capabilities, achieving precision such as less than 1 K accuracy in atmospheric temperature profiling when integrated. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) serves as a multi-purpose imager with 22 spectral bands spanning 0.4 to 12.5 μm, offering spatial resolutions from 375 m to 1 km. It captures daily global coverage over a 3,000 km swath, measuring key parameters such as vegetation health, active fires, and sea surface temperatures to support applications in , , and ocean monitoring. A distinctive feature is the Day/Night Band, a panchromatic channel sensitive to low-light conditions, which enables imaging of urban lights, auroras, and nighttime phenomena like power outages or marine . The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) is a hyperspectral sounder operating across 9.4 to 15.4 μm, providing vertical profiles of and at 3 km resolution up to 40 km altitude with a 14 km footprint. This instrument delivers high vertical resolving power—six times greater than previous NOAA sounders—for clear to partly cloudy conditions, supporting improved weather models and climate studies of phenomena like El Niño. Its sounding accuracy is typically well below 1 , enhancing the reliability of global atmospheric assessments. Complementing CrIS, the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) is a 22-channel covering frequencies from 23 to 183 GHz, enabling all-weather profiling of , , and atmospheric temperature with horizontal resolutions of 15 to 50 km. It penetrates clouds to provide consistent data for storm tracking and prediction, often combined with CrIS for comprehensive three-dimensional profiles. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) consists of a mapper and limb profiler, with the mapper using wavelengths from 250 to 310 nm to measure total column concentrations globally. The limb profiler extends this by vertically resolving profiles, particularly effective for detecting dynamics of the hole during spring thinning events. Together, these components continue three decades of monitoring, aiding UV index forecasts and assessments of atmospheric recovery under the .

Calibration and Auxiliary Instruments

The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System () instruments serve as key auxiliary components on select JPSS satellites, such as and , providing broadband radiometric measurements of shortwave reflected sunlight, emitted , and total outgoing radiation to quantify the top-of-atmosphere energy budget. These measurements are essential for monitoring Earth's energy imbalance, with CERES achieving radiometric accuracy of 1% for shortwave channels and 0.5% for longwave and total channels at a 1-sigma confidence level, enabling detection of imbalances as small as approximately 0.5 W/m². On , the CERES Flight Model 5 (FM5) instrument, launched in 2011, delivers continuous data on radiant energy fluxes, while the CERES FM6 on , launched in 2017, extends this record for long-term climate analysis. The FM6 installation ensures observational continuity with prior CERES deployments on satellites like and Aqua, supporting studies of cloud radiative effects and global energy trends without reliance on precipitation-focused missions such as TRMM or CloudSat. The Total and Spectral Sensor (TSIS-1), originally planned for integration on as part of the JPSS precursor mission, ultimately launched to the in 2017 to monitor variations in total , or the , valued at approximately 1361 W/m². TSIS-1 achieves a relative precision of 0.01% (10 ) in these measurements, critical for refining models that incorporate forcing alongside JPSS radiation budget data from . Operational since 2018 and continuing as of 2025, TSIS-1 bridged observational gaps following the end of the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) mission in 2020 and provides ongoing data to validate long-term variability trends relevant to system studies. These inputs complement JPSS auxiliary observations by establishing the incoming energy baseline against which outgoing fluxes are assessed. Libera, an upcoming broadband radiometer slated for JPSS-4 (NOAA-22) in 2027, focuses on measuring Earth-emitted longwave radiation across wavelengths from 5 to 50 μm, with additional channels for total (0.3–100 μm) and shortwave (0.3–5 μm) coverage to enhance understanding of the radiation budget. Designed for high sensitivity of 0.3 W/m² in flux measurements, Libera will improve detection of trends in surface over oceans and land, contributing to more precise assessments of decadal changes in Earth's energy imbalance. By providing standalone longwave data continuity beyond , Libera supports calibration validation for core JPSS instruments like VIIRS through cross-referencing of radiometric standards.

Operations

Orbital Configuration and Coverage

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites operate in a sun-synchronous designed to provide consistent lighting conditions for observations. This is characterized by an altitude of 824 , an inclination of 98.7°, and a local time ascending (LTAN) of approximately 1:30 PM, enabling an afternoon overpass. The is about 101 minutes, resulting in 14 orbits per day and a 16-day repeat cycle that ensures precise repeatability. This configuration delivers comprehensive global coverage, with each satellite imaging the entire Earth twice daily—once during the day and once at night—due to the polar path and beneath the plane. The wide swath widths of key instruments, such as the (VIIRS) at 3,060 km, facilitate near-global daily imaging without significant gaps. When combined with complementary morning-orbit satellites like EUMETSAT's series (crossing the around 9:30 AM), the JPSS afternoon observations enable a refreshed global dataset approximately every 6 hours, enhancing for and climate monitoring. Scanning mechanisms are tailored to instrument type for optimal data collection within the orbital path. Sounding instruments like the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) employ cross-track step-and-stare scanning, with CrIS performing 32 steps across a 2,200 km swath and ATMS using continuous rotation for a similar 2,200–2,600 km coverage, synchronized for co-located atmospheric profiles. In contrast, imaging instruments such as VIIRS utilize continuous cross-track rotation to capture high-resolution scenes over their broad swath. The multi-satellite constellation enhances temporal sampling, with positioned approximately 50 minutes ahead of in the same to provide staggered observations for better dynamic event tracking. As of November 2025, , , and are all operational, further improving coverage. This setup is particularly vital for polar regions, where the near-polar inclination ensures frequent overpasses critical for monitoring sea ice extent and variability. Orbit drift is maintained below 1 km per year through periodic firings, preserving the sun-synchronous parameters and LTAN stability over the mission lifetime.

Ground System and Data Handling

The Common Ground System (CGS) for the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a flexible, multimission infrastructure developed and managed by Intelligence & Information Systems under NOAA's oversight, with providing . It supports command, control, communications, and data acquisition for JPSS satellites, as well as precursor missions like and international partners such as EUMETSAT's series, enabling shared ground resources for polar-orbiting environmental observations. The system's Distributed Receptor Network (DRN) includes key stations at in and Fairbanks in , which handle S-band commanding and X-band high-rate data downlinks at 15–25 Mbps, ensuring reliable acquisition during polar passes. The Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS), a core component of NOAA's Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC), receives raw sensor data from the CGS and applies calibrated algorithms to produce over 50 Environmental Data Records (EDRs), such as derived from VIIRS and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit measurements. These EDRs achieve high fidelity, for instance, with accuracy of 0.2 and precision of 0.6 over global cloud-free oceans, supporting applications in and climate monitoring. Processing occurs at the National Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) in , where the IDPS ingests stored mission data and generates products with low latency, delivering 95% of EDRs in under 28 minutes from acquisition. JPSS data distribution leverages secure channels like the Global Broadcast Service for rapid delivery to NOAA's and military users, alongside open-access archiving through the Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (). provides public access to archived products exceeding 20 TB annually, with near-real-time environmental data available within 75 minutes for critical forecasting needs. The ground system is also being adapted for JPSS Block 2 satellites, integrating processing for new Libera instrument products like radiation budget measurements starting with JPSS-4.

Contractors and Partnerships

Spacecraft and System Integrators

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) relies on specialized contractors for the design, assembly, and integration of its spacecraft buses, ensuring compatibility with advanced environmental instruments and robust performance in polar orbits. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation served as the primary spacecraft provider for the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) risk-reduction mission and the first operational JPSS satellite, NOAA-20 (JPSS-1). Under contract with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Ball designed and built the JPSS-1 spacecraft bus based on its Configurable Platform 2000 architecture, which supports a seven-year design life and integrates multiple instruments for global Earth observation. This platform incorporates key subsystems such as attitude determination and control components, including star trackers for precise orientation, and cryocoolers essential for maintaining thermal stability of infrared sensors. Ball completed spacecraft assembly and environmental testing before delivering JPSS-1 to Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2017 for launch preparation. Following the successful JPSS-1 mission, —acquired by in 2018—became the prime or for subsequent JPSS satellites, marking 's role as the lead integrator starting in 2017. is responsible for the design, manufacture, and integration of the buses for (JPSS-2), JPSS-3, and JPSS-4, including instrument accommodation, system testing, and launch support. In March 2015, awarded a firm-fixed-price valued at $253 million for the JPSS-2 , with options for JPSS-3 ($130 million) and JPSS-4 ($87 million), bringing the total potential value to approximately $470 million; these efforts continue under following the acquisition. The company performs assembly and rigorous environmental testing, such as thermal vacuum simulations, at its facility in , to verify performance under space-like conditions. Despite supply chain disruptions from 2020 onward, including procurement gaps that delayed component availability, achieved key milestones, delivering JPSS-2 for launch in November 2022. awarded a $112.7 million in July 2024 to provide launch services for JPSS-4 aboard a rocket. Northrop Grumman's integration role encompasses the accommodation of core observing instruments from various providers, ensuring seamless data flow for weather and climate applications. The company collaborates closely with , which provides oversight for science requirements and mission assurance, while the (NOAA) funds the program and manages post-launch operations. This partnership structure leverages 's expertise in satellite procurement and NOAA's focus on operational environmental data delivery.

Instrument and Ground System Providers

Raytheon Technologies (RTX), through its Intelligence and Information Systems division, developed the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Common Ground System (CGS) and Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS), which handle command, control, , and processing of environmental data records (EDRs) from JPSS satellites. The CGS, awarded in a 2010 valued at approximately $1.7 billion over eight years, supports global data routing for U.S. and international polar-orbiting missions, including integration with European Meteorological Satellite () systems for enhanced interoperability. also provides sensor data record algorithms that generate EDRs for , moisture, and other parameters, with subsequent modifications—such as $185 million in 2014 and $59 million in 2018—enabling upgrades for and support of additional satellites. In 2023, NOAA awarded a $400 million for Ground Sustainment Services (LGSS) to maintain and operate the JPSS ground system. L3Harris Technologies serves as the primary provider for the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), a hyperspectral spectrometer that measures atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles across 2,211 spectral channels in three bands. The company's expertise in low-noise detectors enables CrIS to achieve noise-equivalent differential radiance as low as 0.04 at 280 K scene temperature in the longwave band, supporting precise soundings for and monitoring. delivered CrIS instruments for multiple JPSS satellites, including and , with innovations ensuring compatibility with European instruments like the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on satellites. Raytheon also built the (VIIRS), which captures imagery in 22 spectral bands from visible to for observing , , and atmospheric features, under a 2010 contract and a subsequent $564 million award in 2016 for JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 units. developed the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), a cross-track with 22 channels for and profiling, integrated on , , and subsequent JPSS satellites via contracts including a 2014 award for the JPSS-2 unit. Northrop further provided the Clouds and the Earth's System (CERES) Flight Model 6 for JPSS-1 (), measuring Earth's radiation budget under a 2009 contract. Corporation constructed the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS), comprising nadir and limb profilers for total column ozone and profile measurements, delivered for integration on JPSS satellites including and NOAA-21. Post-launch, providers like and contributed to upgrades addressing anomalies, such as Ka-band transmitter issues in December 2022 and CrIS refinements, including updated response functions and values to improve accuracy by early 2024. In 2025, additional anomalies occurred, including VIIRS in and IDPS issues in , which were resolved by early November, restoring nominal operations across the constellation. These efforts ensure continued and system reliability across the JPSS constellation.

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