SpaceX wins NOAA JPSS-4 satellite launch contract

Space agency NASA has awarded a contract to SpaceX to launch the NOAA JPSS-4 mission two years later from California for Earth’s observation.

JPSS-4 is part of a multi-satellite collaboration between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program.

The contract has a firm fixed price of approximately $112.7 million including launch services and other mission-related costs. The mission is expected to launch in 2027 via Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The JPSS is a polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite system. Its polar satellites circle the Earth from pole to pole and cross the equator around 14 times a day in the afternoon orbit. That allows the satellite to provide full global coverage twice a day.

This satellite lineup is used to measure global atmospheric, territorial, and oceanic conditions. That includes sea and land surface temperatures, vegetation, clouds, rainfall, snow and ice cover, fire locations, and smoke plumes. It can detect, water vapor and ozone as well.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle lifting off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California (Image Source – SpaceX)

It can observe weather conditions such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards days before their occurrence. It can assess environmental hazards such as droughts, forest fires, low air quality, and harmful coastal waters.

Among these, JPSS-4 will conduct Libera, NASA’s Earth Venture mission. It will enable scientists to observe changes in Earth’s energy imbalance and climate. This launch activity will be managed by NASA’s Launch Service Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

(source – NASA)