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NASA, acting on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected Lockheed Martin Corp. from Littleton, Colorado, to design and build a lightning mapping instrument as part of NOAA's Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program. The contract, valued at approximately $297.1 million, covers the development of two flight instruments, with options fo by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 19, 2024
NASA, acting on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected Lockheed Martin Corp. from Littleton, Colorado, to design and build a lightning mapping instrument as part of NOAA's Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program. The contract, valued at approximately $297.1 million, covers the development of two flight instruments, with options for two additional units. Lockheed Martin will provide support for 10 years of on-orbit operations and 5 years of on-orbit storage, making it a 15-year support commitment for each model.
The work will primarily take place at Lockheed Martin's facilities in Sunnyvale, California, and Littleton, Colorado, as well as NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The GeoXO Lightning Mapper will detect and monitor the intensity, location, and duration of lightning activity. It will expand on the capabilities of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R (GOES-R) series, offering critical data for monitoring severe storms, increasing warning times for hazardous weather, and providing early warnings for potential lightning strikes. Additionally, the data will be useful for hurricane intensity forecasts, wildfire detection, precipitation estimates, and improving aviation safety.
The lightning data provided by the mapper will be crucial in regions where conventional radar and other systems have limited coverage, such as over oceans, mountains, and rural areas. The GeoXO Lightning Mapper will provide near-continuous coverage, filling gaps where radar data may be less frequent.
The contract's scope includes designing, developing, integrating, and testing the lightning mapper instrument, as well as supporting the launch and maintaining ground support equipment. Lockheed Martin will also assist with mission operations at NOAA's Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland.
The GeoXO program will continue NOAA's mission to provide essential Earth observation data from geostationary orbit. It is the successor to the GOES-R series, which will phase out in the early 2030s. The data gathered from GeoXO satellites will address major environmental challenges and help enhance the nation's weather, ocean, and climate operations. NOAA manages and funds the program, while NASA oversees development and launch activities in collaboration with commercial partners like Lockheed Martin.
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