The launch contract for the second Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) spacecraft was awarded to the United Launch Alliance (ULA) on 3 March by NASA. The mission is scheduled to take place in mid-2021 from Vandenberg Air Base, and will utilise the Atlas V 401 configuration to place the spaceraft into a polar orbit. The contract is valued at US$170.6 million.
The spacecraft is being built by Orbital ATK, under a contract won in March 2015. The contract has options for two more JPSS satellites.
The mission is for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), responsible for the operation of national weather satellites.
