logo
NASA & NOAA to Launch Weather Satellite Thursday
news image
Special Stories
10 Nov 2022 1:00 AM

ABOVE - Photo credit: NASA. Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2)

NASA is set to launch the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) into orbit on on Thursday, November 10th at 1:25 am PST/4:25 EST from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on an Atlas V 401 rocket! This is a slight delay from the original launch date of November 1st. https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1588275044534190080 JPSS-2 is the third satellite in a polar satellite series and partnership between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Polar satellites focus on the entire earth, moving from North to South Pole and seeing the same spot on Earth 2x/day - once during the day, the second at night. This is opposed to geostationary satellites that spin at the same rate of the Earth, centered over the equator at 22,000 feet and focus on the same area all the time. JPSS-2 will work to improve weather forecasts by providing information from above for meteorologists & scientists better predict the future. JPSS-2 will cross the equator 14 times per day, taking measurements from the Earth from the North Pole to South Pole. This means JPSS-2 will send back two full images of the Earth twice per day. According to NASA some of the instruments included are:
At launch, JPSS-2 weighs 5,567 pounds and has four highly sophisticated instruments to measure weather and climate conditions on Earth:
  • The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) sees through clouds like an X-ray and can view the structure of the atmosphere underneath those clouds and inside of storms.
  • The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) measures in the infrared and visible part of the spectrum and can image hurricanes, floods, dust storms, cloud patterns, ocean color, and help locate and map wildfires.
  • The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) works together with ATMS to take detailed measurements of the atmospheric conditions needed to generate extreme weather forecasts days in advance.
  • The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) consists of sensors to track the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere and measure sulfur dioxide and other aerosols emitted from volcanoes and particulates from wildfires.

Photo credit: USSF 30th Spacewing/Aaron Taubman via NASA Crane lowers the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) onto the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) payload

In addition to the NOAA satellite, there is a secondary piece of equipment going up in the Launch on Tuesday. The Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, is a test of an inflatable heat shield during reentry. The goal of the LOFTID mission is to prepare for future missions to Mars or Venus. The LOFTID will be deployed just before the JPSS-2 reaches the polar orbit.

Photo credit: NASA Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID)

The launch is set for 5:25 am EDT/2:25 am PDT on Tuesday. Live coverage from NASA can be accessed here.
All Weather News
California Snowfall: Now the Second Snowiest Winter ever on Record
California Snowfall: Now the Second Snowiest Winter ever on Record
Snowpack statewide is over double the normal,
20 Mar 2023 6:15 PM
Northern Rockies and Tetons Snow
Northern Rockies and Tetons Snow
There is another wave of snow expected to tra
20 Mar 2023 6:10 PM
Next Round of Winter Alerts for the Northern Plains
Next Round of Winter Alerts for the Northern Plains
Winter storm watches have already been issued
20 Mar 2023 6:05 PM
After a Brutally Cold Weekend in the South, Relief is in Sight this Week
After a Brutally Cold Weekend in the South, Relief is in Sight this Week
What a cold weekend in the Southeast and now,
20 Mar 2023 6:00 PM
Four Corners: More Rain and Snow
Four Corners: More Rain and Snow
The system bringing rain and snow to Californ
20 Mar 2023 2:00 PM
Severe Storm Chances Return to the Plains & South Late Week
Severe Storm Chances Return to the Plains & South Late Week
A strong low-pressure system moving into Cali
20 Mar 2023 1:50 PM
Lake Effect Snowfall Wrapping Up
Lake Effect Snowfall Wrapping Up
We're wrapping up the final weekend of winter
19 Mar 2023 6:50 PM