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Suomi NPP

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Suomi NPP
Suomi NPP
OperatorNASA/NOAA/DoD
COSPAR ID2011-061A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.37849
Mission duration5 years
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerBall Aerospace
Dry mass2200 kg[1]
Start of mission
Launch date28 October 2011, 09:48:01.828 (2011-10-28UTC09:48:01Z) UTC[2]
RocketDelta II 7920-10[3] D357
Launch siteVandenberg SLC-2W
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeSun-synchronous
Perigee altitude832 kilometers (517 mi)[4]
Apogee altitude834 kilometers (518 mi)[4]
Inclination98.69 degrees[4]
Period101.44 minutes[4]
Epoch25 January 2015, 00:35:06 UTC[4]

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership or Suomi NPP, previously known as the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) and NPP-Bridge, is a weather satellite operated by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Originally intended as a pathfinder for the NPOESS programme, which was to have replaced NOAA's Polar Operational Environmental Satellites and the US Air Force's Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Suomi was launched in 2011 after the cancellation of NPOESS to serve as a gapfiller between the POES satellites and the Joint Polar Satellite System which will replace them. Its instruments provide climate measurements that continue prior observations by NASA's Earth Observing System.

The satellite is named after Verner E. Suomi, a meteorologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The name was announced on January 24, 2012, three months after the satellite's launch.[5][6]

The satellite was launched from Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California by a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7920-10C on October 28, 2011. The satellite was placed into a sun-synchronous orbit 824 km (512 miles) above the Earth.[7]

Earth, created from Suomi NPP composite imagery.
Earth at night, created from Suomi NPP composite imagery.

History

NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) is intended to bridge the gap between old and new systems by flying new instruments, on a new satellite bus, using a new ground data network.[8] Originally planned for launch five years earlier as a joint NASA/NOAA/DOD project, NPP was to be a pathfinder mission for the larger National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System until DOD participation in the larger project was dissolved. The project continued as a civilian weather forecasting replacement for the NOAA Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) series, and ensured continuity of climate measurements begun by NASA's Earth Observing System.[9]

The spacecraft was launched 28 October 2011 from Vandenberg Air Force Base via a Delta II in the 7920-10 configuration (Extra Extended Long Tank with RS-27A engine first stage, 9 GEM-40 solid rocket motors, type 2 second stage with Aerojet AJ10 engine, no 3rd stage and a 10 meter faring).[3][10][11]

The VIIRS sensor on board the spacecraft acquired its first measurements on November 21, 2011.[12]

Blue Marble 2012, created from Suomi NPP composite imagery

NASA also released a high resolution blue marble[citation needed] image of the Earth showing most of North America, which was created by NASA oceanographer Norman Kuring using data obtained on January 4, 2012 by the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite, one of five imaging systems aboard the satellite. That date was chosen because it was a fairly sunny day in most of North America.[7]

The rocket deployed four CubeSats as a part of NASA ELaNa III manifest.

Instrumentation and capabilities

Suomi NPP in the cleanroom before launch

The Suomi NPP is the first in a new generation of satellites intended to replace the Earth Observing System satellites, which were launched from 1997 to 2011. The satellite orbits the Earth about 14 times each day. Its five imaging systems include:

  • Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS),[13] a microwave radiometer which will help create global moisture and temperature models
  • Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS),[14] a Michelson interferometer to monitor moisture and pressure
  • Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS),[15] a group of imaging spectrometers to measure ozone levels, especially near the poles
  • Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS),[16] a 22-band radiometer to collect infrared and visible light data to observe wildfires, movement of ice, and changes in landforms
  • Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), a radiometer to detect thermal radiation, including reflected solar radiation and thermal radiation emitted by the Earth[17]
  • Delta II rocket carrying NPP
    Delta II rocket carrying NPP
  • NPP launch video
  • First image acquired by the VIIRS sensor
    First image acquired by the VIIRS sensor

References

  1. ^ "Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) Mission". eoPortal. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  2. ^ @NASAKennedy. "#NPP's official liftoff time was 2:48:01.828 a.m. PDT". Twitter. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  3. ^ a b NPP Satellite Reaches Orbit | AVIATION WEEK
  4. ^ a b c d e "NPP Satellite details 2011-061A NORAD 37849". N2YO. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  5. ^ Gran, Rani; Steve Cole (January 25, 2012). "NASA Renames Earth-Observing Mission in Honor of Satellite Pioneer". Suomi NPP. NASA. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  6. ^ Herzog, Karen (January 26, 2012). "Satellite renamed to honor UW's Suomi". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Netburn, Deborah (January 26, 2012). "The making of NASA's super hi-res blue marble Earth image". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  8. ^ "NPP Mission". NASA. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  9. ^ http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/sep/HQ_C10-058_JPSS-1_Spacecraft.txt
  10. ^ History of the Delta Launch Vehicle: Description and Designations
  11. ^ "NPP weather and climate satellite launches". BBC News. October 28, 2011.
  12. ^ VIIRS First Light
  13. ^ Muth, C. (27 December 2004). "Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder on NPOESS and NPP". Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2004. IGARSS '04. Proceedings. 2004 IEEE International. 4: 2454–2458. doi:10.1109/IGARSS.2004.1369789. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS)". NASA. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  15. ^ "POLAR-ORBITING ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITES: Information on Program Cost and Schedule Changes: GAO-04-1054". GAO. 2004.
  16. ^ "Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)". Raytheon. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  17. ^ "Spacecraft and Instruments". Suomi NPP. NASA. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
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