Lockheed Martin, based in Littleton, Colorado, will be responsible for the development and construction of the GeoXO satellites. The contract is a cost-plus-award-fee agreement, indicating that Lockheed Martin will be rewarded based on performance and cost control. The project includes support for 10 years of on-orbit operations and five years of on-orbit storage, ensuring a total operational lifespan of 15 years for each spacecraft. The primary work locations will be Lockheed Martin’s facility in Littleton and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The GeoXO constellation will consist of three operational satellites positioned in geostationary orbit over the east, west, and central regions. Each satellite will be equipped with three instruments designed to enhance Earth observation capabilities. The central satellite will carry an infrared sounder, an atmospheric composition instrument, and potentially a partner payload. Satellites in the east and west positions will host an imager, a lightning mapper, and an ocean color instrument. Additionally, they will support an auxiliary communication payload for NOAA’s Data Collection System relay, dissemination, and commanding.

The scope of the contract includes the tasks required to design, analyze, develop, fabricate, integrate, test, evaluate, and launch the GeoXO satellites. Lockheed Martin will also provide engineering development units, ground support equipment, simulators, and mission operations support at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland.

“NASA and NOAA oversee the development, launch, testing, and operation of all the satellites in the GeoXO program,” the press release states.

While NOAA funds and manages the program, operations, and data products, NASA and its commercial partners are tasked with the development and construction of the instruments and spacecraft, as well as the launch operations.

The GeoXO program is designed to build upon and succeed the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites – R (GOES-R) Series Program, continuing NOAA’s mission to protect life and property across the Western Hemisphere. The advanced capabilities of the GeoXO satellite system will significantly enhance Earth observations from geostationary orbit. These observations will provide critical information to address environmental challenges related to weather, ocean, and climate operations in the United States.

“The mission will supply vital information to address major environmental challenges of the future in support of weather, ocean, and climate operations in the United States,” the release continues. By the early 2030s, when the GOES-R Series nears the end of its operational life, GeoXO’s advanced capabilities will be essential for ongoing environmental monitoring and data collection.

For more information on the GeoXO program, visit NOAA’s GeoXO program page.

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The post Lockheed Martin to Build Advanced GeoXO Satellites for NOAA Under NASA Contract first appeared on The Black Vault.

In February of 2019, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released “Challenges to Security in Space,” a report that examines the space and counterspace programs that could challenge U.S. or partner interests in the space domain.

The advantage that the United States holds in space – and our perceived dependence on it – will continue to drive actors to improve their abilities to operate in and through space.

The report notes that “space-based capabilities provide integral support to military, commercial and civilian applications” and that “longstanding technological and cost barriers to space are falling, enabling more countries and commercial firms to participate in satellite construction, space launch, space exploration and human spaceflight.”

Although these advancements are creating new opportunities, new risks for space-enabled services have emerged, according to the DIA report.

“Having seen the benefits of space-enabled operations, some foreign governments are developing capabilities that threaten others’ ability to use space. China and Russia, in particular have taken steps to challenge the United States,” the report said.

In particular, the report notes that:

•  Chinese and Russian military doctrines indicate they view space as important to modern warfare and counterspace capabilities as a means to reduce U.S. and allied military effectiveness.
• Both countries have developed robust and capable space services, including space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
• China and Russia are making improvements to existing systems including space launch vehicles and satellite navigation constellations.
• These capabilities provide their militaries with the ability to command and control their forces worldwide with enhanced situational awareness, enabling them to monitor, track and target U.S. and allied forces.
• Chinese and Russian space surveillance networks are capable of searching, tracking and characterizing satellites in all earth orbits. This capability supports both space operations and counterspace systems.
• Both states are developing jamming and cyberspace capabilities, directed energy weapons, on-orbit capabilities and ground-based antisatellite missiles that can achieve a range of reversible to non-reversible effects.

DIA’s “Challenges to Security in Space” report is intended to support a deeper public understanding of key space and counterspace issues and inform open dialogue and partner engagement on these challenges.

Document Archive

Challenges to Security in Space, February 2019 [46 Pages, 9.4MB]

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The post Challenges to Security in Space, February 2019 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Quality space imagery is required for many new and innovative Low Earth Orbit (LEO)/Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) missions including satellite inspection, servicing, and docking, as well as for general space situational awareness. Current space imagery capabilities require “experts” to be on-site at a mission operation center to conduct image data analysis, mission re-planning, system analysis, and space vehicle commanding.

This requires a significant amount of time and money as well as additional delays waiting for downlink/uplink opportunities. The goal of this effort is to move towards a more autonomous approach to collecting quality space imagery by developing autonomous image analysis and mission planning capabilities that can be implemented onboard the space vehicle.

This will reduce the required time and effort of the mission operations centers, reduce dependence on downlink/uplink opportunities, and provide space vehicles that can be more responsive to customer input.

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 Autonomous Quality Space Imagery for LEO/GEO Space Situation Awareness, June 28, 2011 [52 Pages, 2.9MB]

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The post Autonomous Quality Space Imagery for LEO/GEO Space Situation Awareness, June 28, 2011 first appeared on The Black Vault.