The fourth of five instruments slated to fly aboard the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) has been successfully integrated with the spacecraft, NPP prime contractor Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., said March 18.
Ball Aerospace concluded integration of the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on March 5 and had previously installed the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder, Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System, and the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite.
Ball Aerospace is still awaiting delivery of the Cross-track Infrared Sounder from ITT Geospatial Systems of Rochester, N.Y. Launch of the NASA-funded satellite is slated for late 2011.