Climate Change Satellite Successful Launch

The NASA National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project, called NPP, launched successfully and on-time from aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Oct. 28, 2011. The satellite carries instruments to observe and measure the amount of global climate change over the short- and long-term as well as short-term weather conditions. In addition to its importance for gathering climate change data, the NPP represents a critical first step in building this next-generation satellite system. Goddard Space Flight Center is leading NASA's effort to launch a satellite that will carry the first of the new sensors developed for this next-generation system. NASA has relied on numerous partners that contribute to NPP's success including NOAA and the Department of Defense.

The ESDIS Project is actively engaged in early efforts to transition NPP Science Data Segment from the NPP Project to ESDIS. This transition is scheduled to occur 90 days after launch. In the weeks preceding the launch, ESDIS participated in NPP Ground System testing and other parts of ensuring data integrity.

The picture below shows the liftoff of the NPP aboard a Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 2:48 a.m. PDT/ 5:48 a.m. EDT.