Orbital ATK’s rendering of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) 2 spacecraft. Photo Credit: Orbital ATK

NASA has exercised options under the Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition III (Rapid III) contract for two additional Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) spacecraft to be built for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The space agency selected Orbital ATK to build NOAA’s JPSS-3 and JPSS-4.

The contract value is $460 million and the period of performance will extend through 2026. The work will be performed at Orbital ATK’s facility in Gilbert, Arizona. Orbital, which currently is developing the JPSS-2 spacecraft, will design, develop, fabricate, integrate, test and provide post-delivery support for the third and fourth spacecraft in the series.

JPSS satellites collect global, multi-spectral radiometry and other specialized meteorological and oceanographic data via remote sensing of land, sea and atmospheric properties. These data support NOAA’s mission for continuous observation of Earth’s environment to understand and predict changes in weather, climate, oceans and coasts.

NOAA funds the JPSS missions and NASA is the acquisition agent for the flight systems, launch services and components of the ground system.