Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)
Real-time weather and climate data for essential forecasts. That’s Defining Possible.
Northrop Grumman is NASA’s partner to build the JPSS-2 (now NOAA-21), -3 and -4 satellites and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument.
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NOAA-21
The Northrop Grumman-manufactured NOAA-21 satellite was the culmination of seven years of work. Based on our LEOStar-3 satellite bus for low-Earth orbit (LEO) operations, it was built at our Gilbert, AZ site. Our team designed NOAA-21 to efficiently integrate the instruments, including the Northrop Grumman-manufactured ATMS. Our Gilbert site is currently manufacturing JPSS-3, and we were also selected to build JPSS-4.
Here’s how our technology is supporting NOAA’s mission:
- We designed NOAA-21 to provide real-time data to any ground system around the world – better informing our nation’s ability to respond quickly to developing weather events.
- The ATMS we built collects microwave energy from the Earth's atmosphere and surface, data that helps predict the nature and duration of any weather system, such as heavy rains leading to flooding, long term dry conditions leading to drought and the direction and intensity of hurricanes.
- We manufactured components including the solar array, thermal control, propellant tank, and primary structural elements inclusive of the main instrument deck, along with structural elements for the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments.
