Rideshare Opportunities on the NOAA JPSS-2 Launch
NOAA is continuing efforts to partner with the commercial sector in innovative ways in support of the NOAA mission. On July 31, NOAA released a Request for Information (RFI) that offers a ride to low earth orbit (LEO) for small satellite vendors via the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) launch.
As part of its planning for future satellite systems, NOAA is soliciting information from entities interested in testing or demonstrating satellites that have the potential to meet NOAA’s future observation requirements. The NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture study has shown that future instruments with lower size, weight, and power and/or increased performance could provide significant benefit in NOAA’s future observing systems.
Through this RFI, NOAA seeks early demonstrations of key technologies and capabilities to enable realization of these benefits. Satellites will have the opportunity to fly as a rideshare on the JPSS-2 launch vehicle in one of several available slots on the JPSS-2 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) ring.