NOAA 97-45
CONTACT: Patricia Viets FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7/31/97
These contracts represent a major step in the merger of the nation's military and civil operational meteorological satellite systems into a single, national system capable of satisfying both civil and national security requirements for space-based remotely sensed environmental data. The merger of these programs was a key recommendation of Vice President Gore's National Performance Review, which was aimed at streamlining government and making it more efficient. The converged system is expected to save taxpayers $550 million through 1999 and additional savings throughout the life of the system.
The contracts were awarded by the Air Force Space and Missiles Systems Center in support of the Tri-agency National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) led by NOAA.
The contracts are for competitive sensor and algorithm developments for instruments that will fly aboard satellites in the NPOESS system. This system will combine the current dual systems of polar-orbiting satellites operated by NOAA and the Department of Defense. Under NPOESS the total number of satellites required and their associated ground systems are expected to be significantly reduced.
The satellites will be able to: collect information about the Earth's atmosphere, including temperature, moisture, pressure, and ozone distribution; measure refraction from certain radiowave signals to characterize the ionosphere; and collect microwave radiometry and sounding data to produce microwave imagery and other meteorological and oceanographic data.
The contracts were awarded as follows:
$32 million to Hughes Space and Communications Company, Los Angeles. This action provides for development and design of the Conical Microwave Imager/Sounder sensor that will collect microwave radiometry and soundings. Hughes will perform this effort in Los Angeles.
$35,509,941 to Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation, Aerospace Systems Division, Boulder, Colo. This action provides for development and design of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite and the Conical Microwave Imager/Sounder sensors. Ball Corporation will perform this effort in Boulder.
$4,874,570 to Orbital Sciences Corporation, Sensor Systems Division, Pomona, Calif. This action provides for development and design of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite sensors. Orbital Sciences will perform this effort in Pomona.
$36,772,433 to Hughes Aircraft Company, Santa Barbara Remote Sensing, Goleta, Calif. This action provides for development and design of the Cross Track Infrared Sounder and Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite sensors. Hughes will perform this effort in Goleta.
$35,740,180 to ITT Aerospace/Communications Division, Fort Wayne, Ind. This action provides for development and design of the Cross Track Infrared Sounder and Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite sensors. ITT will perform this effort in Fort Wayne.
$4 million to Saab Ericsson of Sweden for a Global Positioning System Occultation Sensor that will measure the refraction of radiowave signals from the GPS and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System to characterize the ionosphere.
Convergence of these programs is the most significant change in U.S. operational remote sensing since the launch of the first weather satellite in April 1960. The first satellite in the NPOESS system is expected to be available sometime toward the middle to latter half of the next decade, depending on when the current NOAA and Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellite assets are exhausted.
Under the Presidential Decision Directive establishing the NPOESS program, the Air Force has lead agency responsibility for major systems acquisition, and NOAA has overall lead responsibility for the program and for operation of the system. The source selection team for the contracts was composed of Defense Department, NASA, and NOAA members.