JPSS - Building the Nation's Next Generation Operational Polar-Orbiting Weather Satellite

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. (Ball Aerospace) is currently building the Nation's next generation civilian environmental satellite: the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1). The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is the Nation's next generation polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite system, procured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). When it is launched by early 2017, JPSS-1 will replace NOAA's current Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and the Suomi National Polar Partnership (NPP) satellites.

JPSS-1 will provide continuity of critical observations for accurate weather forecasting, reliable severe storm outlooks, global measurements of atmospheric and oceanic conditions such as sea surface temperatures, ozone, and more. JPSS-1 represents significant technological and scientific advances in environmental monitoring and will help advance environmental, weather, climate, and oceanographic science. JPSS-1's primary user, NOAA's National Weather Service, will use the JPSS-1 data in models for medium- and long-term weather forecasting. JPSS-1 will allow scientists and forecasters to monitor and predict weather patterns with greater speed and accuracy and is key for continuity of long-standing climate measurements, allowing study of long-term climate trends.

This presentation will provide an overview of how the JPSS-1 satellite will be designed, built, tested and launched using Ball's recent experience as provider of Suomi NPP as an example. Example data products from Suomi NPP and their practical applications in everyday forecasting will be presented.