Raytheon has achieved a significant program milestone for the National Polar- orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) by successfully completing ground segment acceptance testing of the data processing segment at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility three weeks ahead of schedule.
The interface data processing segment, which will deliver the NPOESS data products to the users, is vital for future environmental analysis and weather forecasting supporting civil applications, scientific research, and military operations.
This segment will first be used on the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP), a risk reduction mission for NPOESS that will fly early versions of key sensors as a bridge between NASA's EOS missions and NPOESS.
"This is another major program milestone leading to the launch and operations of the NPP system and then the NPOESS system," said Ed Phillips, system program director for the NPOESS Integrated Program Office.
This accomplishment sets a new standard in high-speed environmental data processing volume, accuracy and throughput.
"The interface data processing segment is advancing scientific applications and is the latest in remote sensing technology to enhance weather forecasting," said Mike Mader, vice president and NPOESS program lead for Raytheon.
