The three-year contract extension will modernize the ground-computing infrastructure and reduce the IT footprint, laying the foundation for future migration to cloud technologies. It extends the partnership with NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS) to 13 years - and brings the total contract value to $1.65 billion.

The GOES-R ground segment controls and commands NOAA’s two new geostationary weather satellites, GOES-16 (East) and GOES-17 (West), and will control GOES-T and GOES-U satellites after their launches. The ground segment controls the Harris-built main payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, and other onboard instruments.

It also collects and processes 3.5 terabytes of science data every day that is used for severe weather warnings, real-time fire detection and other life-saving information used by the U.S. National Weather Service and more than 10,000 direct users worldwide. Weather data and products are generated in less than 30 seconds, and space weather products in 1.8 seconds.

The first and second satellites in the GOES-R Series launched in 2016 and 2018, and both are operational.

Source:  harris.com

The NextSTEP-2 program seeks to establish partnerships with US companies to evaluate the incorporation of commercial elements into the future space relay services that will be provided by the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Networks.

This first stage, for which Eutelsat America Corp. has been selected, is a five-month study that will examine how relay communications and navigation services can be provided on commercial platform solutions based on standards interoperable across commercial and NASA networks. The study will determine the elements required to incorporate NASA's optical technology onto commercial spacecraft. This project could open the door to the use of Public-Private Partnerships to develop and introduce new operational capabilities for future use by NASA.

Source:  Eutelsat
Associated URL: www.eutelsat.com

NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation Program currently offers space-based radio frequency communications services for all of the agency’s space communications activities via its Space Network. The Space Network consists of a constellation of geosynchronous satellites called TDRS and ground systems that operate as a relay system between satellites.

Leveraging current and planned commercial communication and navigation infrastructure, Maxar will study concepts to augment the Space Network with more advanced optical communications capabilities and enhanced radio frequency services. Maxar will also study a framework that allows for a transition from government-owned and managed space services to commercially developed and operated services. This future architecture could unlock the promise of human exploration, new and greater scientific discovery, and reduce development and operations costs for future missions through improved communication and navigation services.

Maxar has decades of experience in developing cutting-edge systems for space communications. The company has built some of the world’s highest capacity spacecraft, including JUPITER 1/EchoStar XVII and JUPITER 2/EchoStar XIX - which power HughesNet high-speed satellite Internet service across the Americas. Maxar is currently building JUPITER 3, which will provide more concentrated capacity over high-use areas than any other satellite. Maxar has also contributed advanced concepts for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation protected satellite communications architecture and has built more than 280 satellites, with 91 commercial communications satellites currently in service.

The operations of DigitalGlobe, SSL and Radiant Solutions were unified under the Maxar brand in February; MDA continues to operate as an independent business unit within the Maxar organization.

Source:  SSL
Associated URL: www.sslmda.com