Lockheed Martin tapped to develop NOAA’s new series of weather satellites

NASA announced on Tuesday that it selected Lockheed Martin to develop the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s next generation of geostationary weather satellites, continuing its partnership with the company responsible for its most recent series of orbital spacecraft. 

The contract, valued at roughly $2.27 billion in total, includes the development of three satellites for NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations satellite program, or GeoXO, with options for the company to develop up to four additional spacecraft. NASA awarded the contract on NOAA’s behalf.

The GeoXO satellites will represent the follow-up to the Lockheed Martin-built Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites–R, or GOES-R, series of spacecraft. Those satellites were developed to observe planetary and space weather conditions across the western hemisphere, including tracking and identifying hurricanes, wildfires, lightning and solar activity.

“Our GeoXO design draws heavily from what we’ve learned with GOES-R spacecraft over the last 15 years, while incorporating new, digital technologies not only onboard the vehicles but in the design and development of this powerful, weather-monitoring platform of the future,” Kyle Griffin, vice president and general manager of commercial civil space at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement.

NASA said in a press release that the advanced capabilities of the GeoXO series would represent a step up from its current program and would “supply vital information to address major environmental challenges of the future in support of weather, ocean and climate operations in the United States.”

Lockheed Martin added that the first launch of the new satellites is planned to take place in “the early 2030s” once the GOES-R series nears the end of its usability, with the GeoXO series expected to be operational through the late 2050s. 

The space agency is planning to launch its most advanced geostationary weather satellite, GOES-U, on June 25. That satellite represents the fourth and final iteration of the GOES-R series.