NOAA, NASA Announce Contract Award for next Generation Goes Spacecraft Series

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA have awarded a contract to ITT Industries for the implementation phase of the Advanced Baseline Imager for the next generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, or GOES .NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, operates the satellites.

This implementation effort is the second phase of a two-phase acquisition process. ITT will deliver imaging instruments that will provide infrared and visible environmental data capabilities for the GOES-R series of geo-synchronous satellites to replace and augment the current GOES-N Series Imager .Most of the work will be performed at ITT’s Fort Wayne, Ind., location.

Under the terms of the basic cost-plus-award fee contract, the company will design, develop, fabricate, integrate, test and provide post-delivery support for a prototype model and two flight models .There are three options: a third flight model, a fourth flight model and a spare flight model .The period of performance extends through the 10-year operational lifetime for each flight model .If all options are exercised, the potential period of performance will extend through 2029. The contract, including all options is $358,909,846.

“There is a critical need for NOAA satellites to have the best imaging capabilities that we can afford in order to support meteorologists forecasting hurricanes, tornadoes and other severe weather .In addition, it will support climate, ocean and other environmental users,” said Gregory W. Withee, assistant administrator for NOAA’s Satellites and Information .“Having the Advanced Baseline Imager aboard GOES will make that a reality.”

NOAA manages the GOES program and establishes requirements, provides funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United States .NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., procures and manages the acquisition of GOES for NOAA.

NOAA Satellites and Information is America’s primary source of space-based oceanographic, meteorological, and climate data .It operates the nation’s environmental satellites, which are used for ocean and weather observation and forecasting, climate monitoring, and other environmental applications. Some of the oceanographic applications include sea-surface temperature for hurricane and weather forecasting and sea-surface heights for El Niño prediction.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA Satellites and Information: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov

GOES information: http://www.osd.noaa.gov/GOES/

http://goespoes.gsfc.nasa.gov/