NASA Awards $248 Million Contract for Joint Polar Satellite System Spacecraft

NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recently awarded a $248 million sole-source contract for the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) spacecraft to Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, Boulder, Colorado. Ball will design, build and test the spacecraft; integrate government-furnished instruments; integrate the satellite with the launch vehicle; and support launch operations and on-orbit checkout. The spacecraft is a clone of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environment Satellite System Preparatory Project. JPSS-1 is expected to be ready for launch in 2014. The system includes the satellites and sensors supporting civil weather and climate measurements and a shared ground infrastructure with the Department of Defense weather satellite system.