NPOESS
The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is the United States' next-generation satellite system that will monitor the Earth's weather, atmosphere, oceans, land and near-space environment. NPOESS satellites will host proven technologies and operational versions of sensors that are currently under operational-prototyping by NASA. The estimated launch date for the first NPOESS satellite, "C1" or "Charlie 1" is around 2013. Issues with sensor developments are the primary cited reason for delays and cost-overruns.
NPOESS will be operated by the NOAA / NESDIS / NPOESS Program Executive Office Flight Operations at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) in Suitland, MD. Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS, formerly NGST, formerly TRW) is the primary system integrator for the NPOESS project. Raytheon, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. and Boeing are developing the sensors.
NPOESS is a replacement for both the United States Department of Defense DMSP and the NOAA Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) series.
The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) program aims to bridge the gap between old and new systems by flying new instruments on a satellite originally to be launched in 2005. The five instruments include the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS).[1]: The troubled NPP project is under review and the launch date has been postponed until Spring 2011.
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