NOAA climate monitoring satellite contracts won by two firms
NewsJuly 27, 2022
GREENBELT, Maryland. NASA has awarded two firms contracts for the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Spacecraft Phase A Study, which will be used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for monitoring the ocean and the atmosphere, NASA announced in a statement.
NASA awarded 10-month contracts worth $5 million each to Lockhed Martin Space and Maxar Space.
The main purpose of the contracts is to provide a definition-phase study of a GeoXO spacecraft. The firms will develop the spacecraft concept and help define risks, costs, and schedule. NASA hopes to use this information for a future spacecraft implementation contract in 2024.
"NOAA's GeoXO satellite system is the groundbreaking mission that will advance Earth observations from geostationary orbit," the statement reads. "The mission will supply vital information to address major environmental challenges of the future in support of weather, ocean, and climate operations in the United States. The GeoXO mission will continue and expand observations provided by the GOES-R series of satellites. GeoXO will bring new capabilities to address emerging environmental issues and challenges that threaten the security and well-being of every American. NOAA is working to ensure these critical observations are in place by the early 2030s when the GOES-R Series nears the end of its operational lifetime."
