JPSS - Building the Nation's Next Generation Operational 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.