NASA Exercises Orbital ATK Contract Options for NOAA’s 3rd, 4th JPSS Weather Satellites

Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA) will develop two more weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in addition to the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 spacecraft after NASA exercised options that would bring the total amount of the contract to approximately $460 million.

The company said Friday it is currently building the JPSS-2 satellite that is based on the LEOStar-3 satellite bus and is set for launch in 2021.

Orbital ATK said the JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 spacecraft will be produced and tested at its Gilbert, Ariz.-based manufacturing facility and are respectively scheduled for delivery in 2023 and 2026.

The firm plans to start spacecraft integration and testing work on JPSS-2 by the summer of 2018 through its facility in Arizona.

NOAA will operate the three satellites that will perform weather forecasting operations and support oceanographic and environmental science studies.

Orbital ATK, NOAA and NASA concluded a critical design review of the three JPSS satellites in October 2017.

The company designs and builds JPSS-2 under a potential $253 million delivery order that NASA awarded in March 2015 under the Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition III contract vehicle.

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