Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)

Joint Polar Satellite System Common Ground System (JPSS CGS)

Last Updated: 02/01/2012*

NASA Space Operations has successfully powered on Raytheon’s Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite aboard the Suomi National Polar Orbiting Partnership weather satellite. SNPP is currently in a polar orbit 512 miles above the Earth following its launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Oct. 28.

Instrument power-on is a major milestone for SNPP and VIIRS and an important first step in establishing a fully-functional sensor. Within the next month, the NASA team will open the VIIRS telescope doors and begin capturing its first visible light images.

SNPP will function as a bridge between the current NASA EOS and a new weather monitoring spacecraft known as JPSS.

At the heart of JPSS is an advanced weather and climate monitoring instrument responsible for nearly two-thirds of the spacecraft's data collection requirements. The Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is the primary instrument responsible for global imagery, land and sea surface temperature monitoring, cloud characterization and other key environmental data.

On the ground, a new Common Ground System (CGS) built by Raytheon will feature a flexible design to manage nearly a terabyte of information daily to support enhanced environmental data records designed to meet NOAA's and the U.S. Air Force Weather Agency's critical weather forecasting responsibilities.

Raytheon Expertise
For more than 40 years, Raytheon has been delivering advanced technology to provide meteorologists ever-greater forecasting capabilities, from the camera that captured the first full-color, full-disk image of Earth to the MODIS imagers flying today on NASA's Earth Observing System satellites.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Joint Polar Satellite System represents the next great leap in weather forecasting accuracy, and Raytheon again is playing a key role in providing the technology that makes it all possible.

Enhanced Visibility
VIIRS image Raytheon's Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) combines the capabilities of several legacy operating systems into one technologically advanced payload. VIIRS is the primary JPSS instrument responsible for global imagery, land and sea surface temperature monitoring, cloud characterization and other key environmental data.

VIIRS Compared to Legacy Systems

Covers a far broader range of visible and infrared wavelengths for more accurate weather and climate modeling,
Offers three times better spatial resolution for greater detail across images, and
Employs advanced calibration systems for improved night time forecasting.

The first VIIRS flight unit will be launched aboard the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) spacecraft, a bridge between the current polar weather satellite system and JPSS. Raytheon is on contract to build two more VIIRS instruments, one for JPSS and one for the Air Force's Defense Weather Satellite System.

Tying It All Together
JPSS icon Raytheon also designed and built the JPSS Common Ground System (CGS). The CGS consists of the command, control and communications segment (C3S); the mission management center; and the interface data processing segment (IDPS). C3S manages the overall JPSS mission from control and status of the space and ground assets to ensuring delivery of timely, high-quality data to U.S. weather centrals.

Tying It all Together
JPSS icon Raytheon also designed and built the JPSS Common Ground System (CGS). The CGS consists of the command, control and communications segment (C3S); the mission management center and the interface data processing segment (IDPS). C3S manages the overall JPSS mission from control and status of the space and ground assets to ensuring delivery of timely, high-quality data to U.S. weather centrals. IDPS features advanced processing algorithms that rapidly convert JPSS satellite data into environmental data records, or EDRs — information used by NOAA and DoD to support operational weather forecasting, storm tracking and climate research for civil, military and international partners.

CGS Compared to Legacy Systems

Reduces environmental data product delivery time to U.S. weather centrals by up to 75%.
Features a flexible design that handles orders-of-magnitude increases in data volume up to 100 times.
Utilizes high-performance tools capable of transporting, processing and delivering data products to Weather Centrals in less than 28 minutes from the time of collection.

The NPP is an early-flight and risk-reduction opportunity for prime JPSS instruments and the first operational use of the CGS. Raytheon's CGS will support future JPSS missions, similar to the NPP.