The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor completed testing in late October, including 112 days of thermal vacuum and post-thermal vacuum testing. VIIRS was installed in a shipping container, where it is being stored until it is shipped to Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. for integration onto the spacecraft of NPOESS' precursor mission, the NPOESS Preparatory Project. Throughout the entire testing process, VIIRS overall performance was carefully evaluated by Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, as well as representatives of the government customer and stakeholders. Thermal vacuum is the final major test in the instrument's development process and is the last in a series of environmental tests that also includes electro-magnetic interference and vibration testing. Following the thermal vacuum testing, VIIRS also underwent polarization, electro-mechanical interference and mass properties testing.
A second VIIRS flight unit is currently in production. Important components have been built and tested. This unit will be deployed on NPOESS C1, the first operational NPOESS satellite. VIIRS will collect visible/infrared imagery and radiometric data on the atmosphere, clouds, Earth radiation budget, clear-air land/water surfaces, sea surface temperature, and ocean color, as well as low-light visible imagery. The sensor will offer dramatic and unprecedented spatial, spectral, and radiometric performance improvements compared with current operational capabilities.