[Satellite Today 08-14-08]  Ball Aerospace & Technologies’ Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) protoflight model has entered final integration and acceptance testing, the company announced Aug. 13.
     Ball expects to complete integration and testing in August and deliver the instrument for spacecraft integration no later than Sept. 30. The unit is one of five sensors built for the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (NPOESS) Preparatory Project risk reduction mission, scheduled to launch in 2010.
    Initial assembly also has begun on the flight model sensor for the first NPOESS spacecraft, which is slated for launch in 2013.
NPOESS, a joint effort between NASA and the NPOESS Integrated Program Office, will combine separate weather satellite programs operated by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Defense. Northrop Grumman Corp. is the prime contractor for NPOESS.