NOAA's JPSS-1 satellite, the first of the new JPSS satellite constellation, will is scheduled to launch into space on November 10, 2017.
For years, Dr. Mitch Goldberg, JPSS Chief Program Scientist, and Thomas Wrublewski, NOAA Physical Scientist, have been working with their Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) colleagues to prepare this next-generation polar-orbiting satellite for its trip into space.
JPSS-1, or NOAA-20 as it will be known once on orbit, will provide sophisticated meteorological data and observations of atmosphere, ocean and land. NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) will use JPSS data as critical input for numerical forecast models, providing the basis for three- to seven-day forecasts.
According to the NWS, 85% of the data flowing into our weather forecast models come from polar-orbiting satellites, such as Suomi NPP and, soon, the new JPSS series. Polar satellite data also provides emergency personnel with more accurate forecasts, allowing them to pre-position equipment and resources days before a storm. JPSS will continue to serve this vital role.