Mary-Louise Hoffman
Ball Aerospace & Technologies has integrated two of five scientific payloads into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s Joint Polar Satellite System.
The company installed its Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite-Nadir instrument and the Northrop Grumman-built Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System on the JPSS-1 spacecraft bus, Ball Aerospace said Thursday.
The environmental satellite is slated for launch in 2017.
“Integration of JPSS-1 continues to proceed on schedule,” said Cary Ludtke, vice president and general manager of Ball Aerospace’s operational space business unit.
OMPS-N is designed to track ozone concentrations and aid numerical weather prediction modeling, while CERES is built to measure reflected sunlight and thermal radiation from Earth.
Ball Aerospace expects to receive the satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, Cross-track Infrared Sounder and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder instruments in the coming months.
The company is responsible for spacecraft bus design and development, payload integration and testing under an agreement with NASA.
NOAA finances the program and NASA oversees procurement of flight and ground systems for the satellite.
