NOAA's Geostationary Extended Observations
weather satellites to bring new critical measurements and
advanced weather forecasting capability
DENVER, June 18,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected Lockheed
Martin [NYSE: LMT] to develop and build the nation's next
generation weather satellite constellation, Geostationary Extended
Observations (GeoXO), for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA).
The baseline contract is for three spacecraft with options
for four additional spacecraft. The total estimated value of the
contract including options is $2.27
billion.
The GeoXO mission will continue and expand upon critical
observations of weather provided by the Lockheed Martin-built
GOES-R Series geostationary satellites to include new observations
of our oceans and air pollution. GeoXO's new capabilities will
deliver more accurate weather forecasting and address emerging
environmental issues and challenges that threaten our economy and
safety. GeoXO and the nation's weather satellites are vital
infrastructure for national resilience.
"Our team is excited and ready to move forward to design and
field this critical national capability," said Kyle Griffin, vice president and general manager
of Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin. "Our GeoXO design
draws heavily from what we've learned with GOES-R spacecraft over
the last 15 years, while incorporating new, digital technologies
not only onboard the vehicles but in the design and development of
this powerful, weather-monitoring platform of the future."
A Deeper Look into Our Severe
Weather, Shifting Climate
GeoXO represents an expansion of
our nation's geostationary weather satellite enterprise, its
capabilities and continued U.S. technological leadership. The
geostationary constellation will help NOAA provide better, more
accurate information on severe weather patterns, marine ecosystems,
air quality and our changing climate.
With new instruments onboard, the observatories will have a
major impact including: the first geostationary observations of our
coastal ecosystems that supports resilient coastal communities,
near real-time hyperspectral sounding to map the state of the
atmosphere, enhanced lightning observations for severe convection
monitoring, and continental U.S.-wide observations of harmful
pollutants in the air we breathe.
A Weather Constellation for the Future
The first GeoXO
launch is planned for the early 2030s and will maintain and advance
NOAA's critical geostationary observations through the late
2050s.
The GeoXO spacecraft is based on Lockheed Martin's modernized
LM2100™ satellite bus, which provides more performance and
flexibility for addressing NOAA's mission needs over the coming
decades. The platform features SmartSat™ technology that
enables new software pushes and capabilities as environmental data
needs change over time.
Half a Century, 120+ Weather Spacecraft on Orbit
For
over 50 years, Lockheed Martin has built and launched more than 120
weather and environmental spacecraft for our government's civil and
military agencies.
The revolutionary GOES-R mission provided the first lightning
observations from geostationary orbit, the ability to detect remote
wildland fire ignitions, and unprecedented tracking of severe
weather that have proven indispensable to the nation and sets a new
bar for future expectations from the public, forecasters, and
researchers who depend on the geostationary weather mission.
The launch of the fourth and final spacecraft in the series,
GOES-U, is scheduled for June 25,
2024 from NASA's Kennedy Space
Center, Florida.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a global
defense technology company driving innovation and advancing
scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st
Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of
transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay
ahead of ready. More information at Lockheedmartin.com.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin
