The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite is scheduled to lift off before dawn on Thursday, November 10, 2022, at UTC 9:25 am (EST 4:25 am) on an Atlas V rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the JPSS series. The satellite, to be renamed NOAA-21 upon successfully reaching orbit, will continue the work of its predecessors NOAA-20 (formerly JPSS-1) and the NOAA-NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP).
Together, NOAA and NASA oversee the development, launch, testing, and operation of all the satellites in the JPSS program. NOAA funds and manages the program, operations, and data products. On behalf of NOAA, NASA develops and builds the instruments, spacecraft, and ground system, and launches the satellites, which NOAA operates.
JPSS-2 will scan the globe as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day. From 512 miles above Earth, it will capture data to extend and will provide critical insights into the dynamics of the Earth´s physical, chemical, and biological processes. JPSS carries four instruments to monitor the Earth. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument collects imagery for global observations of the land, oceans, atmosphere, and cryosphere. The LP DAAC will archive and distribute VIIRS land remote sensing data products as they become available.
Live coverage of the JPSS-2 launch will air on NASA Television and the NASA app. Watch live on the agency’s website at: https://www.nasa.gov/live.