Christine Thropp
NASA has tapped Ball Aerospace and Raytheon Technologies‘ intelligence and space business to study the ocean color instrument for a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth observation satellite system.
Each was awarded an approximately $5.2 million contract that covers the twenty-month Phase A Study under the Geostationary Extended Observations Program of NOAA, the space agency said Friday.
The GeoXO OCX instrument is an imaging radiometer envisioned to provide ocean biology, chemistry and ecology observations that will be used to determine or evaluate coastal and inland water quality, ecosystem changes, ocean productivity, seafood safety and hazards. It will deliver hourly environmental data to NOAA.
GeoXO satellite system will carry the OCX instrument and will help with Earth observation efforts from geostationary orbit.
Ball Aerospace and Raytheon Intelligence & Space will perform the studies at their respective facilities and help inform performance requirements for a contract for the OCX instrument implementation. Contract award is scheduled for 2024.
Both organizations were also selected for GeoXO atmospheric composition instrument study.
