Lockheed Martin to Build GeoXO Satellites for NOAA

NASA has selected Lockheed Martin Corp. of Littleton, Colorado, to build the spacecraft for NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program. This significant contract, valued at approximately $2.27 billion, will see the development of three primary spacecraft, with options for four additional ones.

Contract Details and Responsibilities

This cost-plus-award-fee contract includes support for 10 years of on-orbit operations and five years of on-orbit storage, totalling 15 years for each spacecraft. The work will be conducted at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Littleton and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The contract covers tasks such as designing, analysing, developing, fabricating, integrating, testing, evaluating, and supporting the launch of the GeoXO satellites. Additionally, it includes the provision and maintenance of ground support equipment and simulators, as well as mission operations support at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland.

GeoXO Constellation and Its Capabilities

The GeoXO constellation will consist of three operational satellites positioned in geostationary orbit: east, west, and central. Each three-axis stabilized spacecraft will host three instruments. The central spacecraft will carry an infrared sounder and atmospheric composition instrument, with the potential to accommodate an additional partner payload. The east and west satellites will be equipped with an imager, lightning mapper, and ocean colour instrument, alongside an auxiliary communication payload for the NOAA Data Collection System relay, dissemination, and commanding.

Program Management and Future Impact

NASA and NOAA will oversee the development, launch, testing, and operation of all GeoXO satellites. NOAA funds and manages the program, operations, and data products, while NASA and commercial partners develop and build the instruments and spacecraft and launch the satellites. The GeoXO program follows the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites – R (GOES-R) Series Program, aiming to advance Earth observations from geostationary orbit.

The GeoXO satellite system will enhance our understanding of major environmental challenges, supporting weather, ocean, and climate operations in the United States. The advanced capabilities of GeoXO will address the evolving needs of the nation’s data users and ensure critical observations are in place by the early 2030s, as the GOES-R Series nears the end of its operational lifetime.