Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS): Building on Past Satellite Successes to Ensure a Bright Future! (Invited Presentation)

This presentation will focus on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program heritage, current capabilities, and future focus areas. NOAA’s polar-orbiting program can be traced back for decades and every lesson learned in the acquisition, building, and operational application of NOAA sensors and their products guided decisions in the formation of the JPSS Program. Information will be provided for each JPSS sensor tracing its lineage and the decisions made that led to the current sensor capabilities. Key program milestones will be identified as the program office was staffed and took on the responsibilities of acquiring and fielding the next generation polar-orbiting satellite. This presentation will show that while JPSS satellites were built on the success of their predecessor programs, they are significant technological and scientific advancements in observations used for severe weather prediction and environmental monitoring. Background will be provided on the successful launch of the NOAA-1 spacecraft on November 18, 2017 and how it has joined Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP), in providing global state-of–the art atmospheric, oceanographic, and environmental data. Soon these two spacecraft, on orbit flying 50 min apart, provided even more data and products to users as they responded to changing environmental conditions.

Work continues on JPSS’ follow-on spacecraft. The JPSS baseline consists of four instruments: advanced microwave and infrared sounders (CrIS, ATMS) which are critical for weather forecasting; a leading-edge visible and infrared imager (VIIRS) critical to data sparse areas such as Alaska and needed for environmental assessments such as snow/ice cover, droughts, volcanic ash, forest fires and surface temperature; and an ozone sensor (OMPS) primarily used for global monitoring of ozone and input to weather and climate models. The JPSS-2 instruments are well into their assembly and test phases with all four instruments scheduled for completion in 2020. The JPSS-2 is scheduled for launch in spring 2022. The spacecraft and instruments for the JPSS-3 and 4 spacecraft are in development and on track to meet the NOAA launch commitment dates.

The JPSS partnership with the US National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) continues to provide a strong foundation for the program’s success. NASA's role is to serve as acquisition Center of Excellence, providing acquisition of instruments and spacecraft. JPSS also continues to maintain its important international relationships with European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) including support of the upcoming METOP-SG and GOSAT-3 missions. JPSS works closely with its user community through the Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) Program to identify opportunities to maximize the operational application of current JPSS capabilities. The PGRR Program also helps identify and evaluate the use of JPSS capabilities for new operational missions.

In the future, the JPSS Program is on-track to extend into a broader low earth orbiting (LEO) satellite system. This will allow the international satellite community to leverage existing and planned capabilities from other government agencies, research and operational satellite programs, and the commercial sector to deliver more capabilities to their service areas and stakeholders.

The work being done by the JPSS Program will ensure the continuity of critical capabilities for years to come, while looking for ways to make these capabilities even more useful to its operational users. The best is yet to come!