JPSS 1 under construction. Photo: Ball Aerospace

[Via Satellite 07-25-2016] Cobham has received an award from Northrop Grumman valued at approximately $8 million for motion control technology for Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instruments. Used for sounding observations to retrieve profiles of atmospheric temperature and moisture, the instruments are to be flown on the Joint Polar Satellite System 3 (JPSS 3) and 4 (JPSS 4) satellites.

JPSS is the next generation of U.S. polar-orbiting operational environmental satellites. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funds the program, and NASA is the acquisition agent for the flight systems, components of the ground system and provides systems engineering, launch services, program safety, mission assurance and end-to-end system verification.

JPSS is anticipated to improve severe weather prediction and environmental monitoring, and will help advance weather, climate, environmental and oceanographic science. Cobham Integrated Solutions’ Hauppauge, New York facility, part of the Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions Sector, will construct the motion control components.