Scott Nicholas
Ball Aerospace and other Joint Polar Satellite System-1 team members are preparing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration polar orbiting weather satellite for a scheduled Nov. 10 launch.
The JPSS-1 team pressurized the propulsion system, fueled the satellite, cleaned the spacecraft and finished a final thermal blanket closeout in preparation for launch, Ball Aerospace said Thursday.
JPSS-1 was also brought to Space Launch Complex-2 and integrated with the United Launch Alliance-built Delta IIÂ launch vehicle where final readiness activities will occur.
Rob Strain, president of Ball Aerospace, said the JPSS-1 team composed of NASA, NOAA, Ball Aerospace, Harris, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman surpassed various milestones in preparation for the weather satellite’s launch since its arrival at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in September.
The weather satellite, which will be dubbed NOAA-20, will circle the Earth 14 times daily from pole-to-pole to offer full global coverage twice a day.
Ball Aerospace designed and built the JPSS-1 spacecraft along with the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite-Nadir instrument as well as merged all the satellite’s five instruments.
The company will also support satellite-level testing and launch activities for the weather satellite.
