Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator – Page 3

Live Coverage of JPSS-2 and LOFTID Launch Begins

Atlas V rocket with JPSS-2 and LOFTID on the pad. — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite with NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) as a secondary payload, stand ready to lift off atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Nov. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Liz Wilk

Hello, and welcome to NASA’s live coverage of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission! Tune in to NASA Television, the NASA app, or the agency’s website, or follow along here on the mission blog for a look at all of today’s major milestones.

JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series and is designed to scan the Earth as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day to provide full global coverage twice a day. Along with NASA’s secondary payload, Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) – a technology demonstration of a cross-cutting inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, designed for atmospheric re-entry – JPSS-2 is set to launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The 36-minute launch window begins at 1:25 a.m. PST.

Today’s launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while LOFTID is managed by the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Our coverage on the blog originates from the NASA News Center at Kennedy.

Together, NOAA and NASA partner in the development, launch, testing, and operation of all satellites in the JPSS series. NASA develops and builds the instruments, spacecraft, and ground system, in addition to launching the satellites on behalf of NOAA, which operates the satellites.

Here’s a look at some of today’s ascent milestones. All times are approximate:

LAUNCH AND SPACECRAFT DEPLOYMENT
All Times Approximate
Hr/Min/Sec Event
00:01:18 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:04:02 Booster engine cutoff (BECO)
00:04:08 Stages I and II separate
00:04:18 Stage II main engine startup (MES1)
00:04:26 Payload fairing jettison
00:17:22 Stage II first engine cutoff – direct injection burn (MECO1)
00:28:22 JPSS-2 separation
00:45:41 Stage II second engine startup (MES2)
00:46:24 Stage II second engine cutoff (MECO2)
01:05:34 Stage III third engine startup (MES3)
01:06:00 Stage III third engine cutoff (MECO3)
01:16:31 LOFTID re-entry vehicle separation
01:43:06 End of mission
02:05:00 LOFTID splashdown and demonstration complete

Weather 90% Favorable for Tomorrow’s Launch

NASA is targeting 1:25 a.m. PST, tomorrow, Nov. 10, for launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite. The launch window is 36 minutes. JPSS-2, with NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) as a secondary payload, will lift off atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Weather officials with the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 are predicting a greater than 90% chance of favorable weather conditions for tomorrow’s launch, with ground winds serving as the primary weather concern.

JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series and is designed to scan the Earth as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day to provide full global coverage twice a day. Operating from about 512 miles above Earth, JPSS-2 is expected to capture data to improve weather forecasts, helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events and climate change.

LOFTID is a technology demonstration of a cross-cutting inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, designed for atmospheric re-entry. The mission is dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter, a manager of advanced programs at ULA who championed lower-cost access to space and technologies to make that a reality. The technology demonstrated by LOFTID could be used for crewed and large robotic missions to Mars.

Together, NASA and NOAA partner in the development, launch, testing, and operation of all satellites in the JPSS series. NASA develops and builds the instruments, spacecraft, and ground system, in addition to launching the satellites on behalf of NOAA, which operates the satellites.

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for managing the launch service.

Join us tonight at 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST) live on NASA TV and YouTube for the JPSS-2 and LOFTID Tower Rollback Show hosted by NASA Edge.

Then beginning at 3:45 a.m. EST (12:45 a.m. PST) on Nov.10, join us for live coverage on NASA TV or the agency’s website for the launch broadcast and follow along with us here on the blog as well.

Delta Launch Readiness Review Concludes, Science Briefing Later Today

the United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) inside the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex-3 (SLC-3) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 28, 2022. — The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) is inside the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex-3 (SLC-3) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 28, 2022. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

Teams from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have completed the Delta Launch Readiness Review for the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The review covered preparations for the second launch attempt for the JPSS-2 satellite and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) and focused on the technical readiness for launch. Mission teams were “go” for a second launch attempt, targeted for 1:25 a.m. PST, Thursday, Nov. 10, from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex-3.

A science briefing will be held today at 5:30 p.m. EST (2:30 p.m. PST). Tune in to listen live on the agency’s website. Participants include:

Jordan Gerth, Meteorologist and Satellite Scientist, NOAA’s National Weather Service
Jim Gleason, Senior Project Scientist, Joint Polar Satellite System, NASA
Satya Kalluri, JPSS Program Scientist, Joint Polar Satellite System Program, NOAA
Heather Kilcoyne, JPSS Ground Project Manager, Joint Polar Satellite System, NOAA
Joe Del Corso, LOFTID project manager, NASA’s Langley Research Center

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 30 Weather Squadron predict a 90% percent chance of favorable weather for launch on Thursday morning.

Launch coverage will begin at 3:45 a.m. EST (12:45 a.m. PST) on Nov. 10. You can follow the countdown milestones here on the blog and on NASA Television.

Launch of Weather Satellite, Tech Demo Targeted for Nov. 10

The mobile service tower doors are open at Space Launch Complex-3 (SLC-3) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 28, 2022, revealing the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) atop. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

NASA and United Launch Alliance are now targeting 1:25 a.m. PST, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, for the launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) mission and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Both JPSS-2 and LOFTID remain healthy and ready for launch. A faulty battery on the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V rocket delayed the launch. Technicians have activated a replacement and will exchange and retest the battery, clearing the way for the launch to proceed.

The Joint Polar Satellite System is the latest generation of NOAA’s polar-orbiting environmental satellites. JPSS is a collaborative program between NOAA and NASA, and through its series of five satellites, JPSS will provide critical observations well into the 2030s. JPSS currently includes two satellites – the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP), and NOAA-20. NOAA’S JPSS-2, the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series will capture data to inform weather forecasts, helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events. Upon reaching orbit, NOAA will rename the satellite to NOAA-21.

Launching as a secondary payload with the satellite is LOFTID, which will demonstrate inflatable heat shield technology for atmospheric entry and re-entry. The technology could be used for crewed and large robotic missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, Titan, as well as returning heavier payloads to Earth. LOFTID is set to splash down about 500 miles off the coast of Hawaii, where a team will be standing by on a ship to recover LOFTID.

JPSS-2 and LOFTID will be NASA’s Launch Services Program’s 23rd flight on Atlas V.

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtags #JPSS2 and #LOFTID.

Science Briefing on Tap Today for NASA, NOAA’s JPSS-2 and NASA Tech Demo

Illustration of Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). Credit: NASA — Illustration of the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite. Credit: NOAAE

Editor’s note: The science and technology briefing scheduled to air on NASA TV at 4 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. PDT) today, Oct. 29, is delayed. For more information, read this blog post.

Officials from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will discuss the launch of the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration during a science briefing that will air live on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website at 4 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. PDT) Saturday, Oct. 29.

The JPSS-2 & LOFTID launch is targeted to lift off Tuesday, Nov. 1, from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with launch scheduled at 2:25 a.m. PDT.

JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series and is designed to scan the Earth as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day to provide full global coverage twice a day. Operating from about 512 miles above Earth, JPSS-2 is expected to capture data to improve weather forecasts, helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events and climate change.

Illustration of Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). Credit: NASA

NASA’s LOFTID is riding as a secondary payload aboard the Atlas V. LOFTID is a demonstration of a cross-cutting inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, for atmospheric re-entry. The mission is dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter, a manager of advanced programs at United Launch Alliance (ULA) who championed lower-cost access to space and technologies to make that a reality. The technology demonstrated by LOFTID could be used for crewed and large robotic missions to Mars.

Briefing participants, in speaking order, are:

Jordan Gerth, meteorologist and satellite scientist, NOAA’s National Weather Service
Jim Gleason, senior project scientist, NASA JPSS, NASA
Satya Kalluri, program scientist, NOAA JPSS Program
Heather Kilcoyne, ground project manager, NOAA JPSS
Joe Del Corso, LOFTID project manager, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for managing the launch service. LOFTID is managed by the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, with contributions from various NASA centers: Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

For more information about JPSS-2, visit:

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/next-generation/jpss-2-launch.

Learn more about NASA’s Launch Services Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html.

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtags #JPSS2 and #LOFTID and tag these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NOAA, @NOAASatellites, @JPSSProgram, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAEarth, @NASAGoddard, @NASALangley, @NASA_Technology, @ULALaunch
Facebook: NASA, NOAA Satellites, NASA LSP, NASA Kennedy, NASA Earth, NASA_Langley, NASA Technology
Instagram: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites, NASAEarth, NASA_Langley

JPSS-2, LOFTID Launch Readiness Review Concludes; Prelaunch Briefing Today

A close-up view of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) as it arrives at the vertical integration facility at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Oct. 18, 2022. — The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) arrives at the vertical integration facility at Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Oct. 18, 2022. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

A team of launch managers for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission have authorized approval to proceed to launch countdown at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California ahead of a scheduled launch on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 2:25 a.m. PDT, from Space Launch Complex-3. The launch will also carry NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) to orbit for its technology demonstration.

During the Launch Readiness Review (LRR) on Oct. 28, launch managers from NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP), United Launch Alliance (ULA), and NOAA received an update on the mission status and any close-out actions from the previously held Flight Readiness Review. Signing the Certificate of Flight Readiness at the conclusion of the LRR were NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance; LSP’s chief engineer, launch director, and program manager; the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 30 commander; the JPSS-2 project manager; and the ULA Launch Director.

Up next, NASA will hold a prelaunch briefing for the JPSS-2 and LOFTID mission today at 6 p.m. EDT (3 p.m. PDT) on NASA TV.

Briefing participants are:

Tim Walsh, director, NOAA’s JPSS Program Office, NOAA
John Gagosian, director, NASA’s Joint Agency Satellite Division
Irene Parker, deputy assistant administrator, NOAA Systems, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Services
Omar Baez, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program
Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate
Zack Zounes, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 30 Weather Squadron predict a 40% percent chance of favorable weather for launch on Tuesday morning, with thick cloud layers posing the main concern.

Launch coverage will begin at 4:45 a.m. EDT (1:45 a.m. PDT) on Nov. 1. You can follow the countdown milestones here on the blog and on NASA Television.

NASA, NOAA Managers Complete Flight Readiness Review of JPSS-2 Mission

NASA and United Launch Alliance (ULA) managers completed the Flight Readiness Review this morning at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. The review focuses on the preparedness of NASA, ULA, and the JPSS-2 team to support the flight and the certification of flight readiness. The final step is the Launch Readiness Review, which is scheduled to begin Friday, at 9 a.m. PDT on Oct. 28.

JPSS-2 is scheduled launch on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 2:25 a.m. PDT from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex-3. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s premier multiuser spaceport, is managing the launch service.

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is the nation’s advanced series of the latest generation of NOAA’s polar-orbiting environmental satellites. JPSS is a collaborative program between NOAA and NASA and, through its series of five satellites, JPSS will provide critical observations well into the 2030s. JPSS currently includes two satellites – the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership, and NOAA-20. NOAA’S JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series and will be one of five satellites that will comprise the JPSS constellation. Upon reaching orbit, NOAA will rename the satellite NOAA-21.

JPSS-2 is expected to capture data to improve weather forecasts, helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events and climate change. This includes forecasting severe weather such as hurricanes and tornadoes, predicting blizzards days in advance, and assessing other environmental hazards such as droughts, forest fires, poor air quality, and harmful ocean conditions, particularly along the coasts.

Hitching a ride as a secondary payload on the launch is NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration, a new form of heat shield that could be used for crewed and large robotic missions to Mars and beyond.

LOFTID is managed by the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, with contributions from various NASA centers: Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

For more information about JPSS-2, visit:

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/next-generation/jpss-2-launch

For more information about LOFTID, visit:

Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) | NASA

Learn more about NASA’s Launch Services Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #JPSS2 and #LOFTID and tag these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NOAA, @NOAASatellites, @JPSSProgram, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NASAEarth, @NASAGoddard, @NASALangley, @NASA_Technology, @ULALaunch

Facebook: NASA, NOAA Satellites, NASA LSP, NASA Kennedy, NASA Earth, NASA_Langley, NASA Technology

Instagram: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites, NASAEarth, NASA_Langley

JPSS-2 and LOFTID Payload Fairing Mated to Rocket

Launch preparations continue at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for the launch of NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID).

Technicians recently mounted the payload fairing protecting the weather satellite and inflatable decelerator to the top of the Atlas V rocket on Oct. 18. Launch is slated for 2:25 a.m. PDT on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex 3.

JPSS-2 is the third weather satellite of the latest generation of NOAA’s polar-orbiting environmental satellites. LOFTID is a tech demonstration that is going along as a rideshare and will return to Earth in a re-entry test shortly after JPSS-2 enters orbit. Together, both payloads form an approximately 27-foot-tall superstack.

NASA’s Launch Services Program is managing the launch service, and JPSS-2 will be the program’s 23rd flight on an Atlas V.

Rocket Arrives in California for NASA Launch of Polar-Orbiting Satellite

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V booster is offloaded from its water transport at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on July 11, 2022, for NASA and NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on the final ULA Atlas V rocket to launch from Vandenberg. JPSS-2 will scan the globe as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day. From 512 miles above Earth, it will capture data that inform weather forecasts, extreme weather events, and climate change. The Visible Infrared Radiometer Suite instrument will collect imagery for global observations of the land, atmosphere, cryosphere, and oceans. Launching as a secondary payload to JPSS-2 is NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID), dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter. LOFTID is a demonstration of a hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, or aeroshell, technology that could one day help land humans on Mars. — The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V booster is offloaded from its water transport at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on July 11, 2022, for NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

Flight hardware for the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket slated to launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) has arrived in California. The rocket’s boattail and interstage adapter arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base July 28 for processing ahead of launch. The payload fairings arrived Aug. 8.

The interstage adapter (ISA) for the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket that will launch NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) mission arrives at the Horizontal Integration Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on July 28, 2022. The ISA is the connecting piece of hardware between the Atlas V booster and the rocket’s Centaur upper stage. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series and will scan the Earth as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day. Operating from 512 miles above Earth, JPSS-2 will capture data to improve weather forecasts, in turn helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events and climate change. Launching as a secondary payload aboard the Atlas V is NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) – a demonstration of a cross-cutting aeroshell, or heat shield, for atmospheric re-entry. Dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter, LOFTID could be used for crewed and large robotic missions to Mars. Liftoff of the ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 1, 2022, from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex-3E. — The interstage adapter for the ULA Atlas V rocket that will launch NASA and NOAA’s JPSS-2 mission arrives at the Horizontal Integration Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on July 28, 2022. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series and is designed to scan the Earth as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day to provide full global coverage twice a day. Operating from about 512 miles above Earth, JPSS-2 is expected to capture data to improve weather forecasts, helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events and climate change. Liftoff is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 1, from Space Launch Complex-3E on Vandenberg.

The interstage adapter is the connecting piece of hardware between the Atlas V booster and the rocket’s Centaur upper stage, while the boattail connects the Centaur to the payload fairing that will house the JPSS-2 satellite. The payload fairings are a protective covering that will encapsulate the spacecraft and keep it safe as the rocket ascends rapidly through the atmosphere. The payload fairings are a critical piece of hardware built specifically to accommodate the satellite, and are a key feature of the launch vehicle.

As processing continues at Vandenberg, teams at the Northrop Grumman facility in Gilbert, Arizona, are preparing the spacecraft for its mission, having recently installed the solar array that will power the spacecraft. After installing the solar array, the team packed the satellite for shipment, installed a protective cover, and enclosed the satellite in its shipping container. Ground support equipment for the satellite has already started arriving at Vandenberg to be ready to support spacecraft arrival.

A crew offloaded the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V payload fairing from its transport container in building B7525 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Aug. 8, 2022, for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3 East. JPSS-2 will scan the globe as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day. From 512 miles above Earth, it will capture data that inform weather forecasts, extreme weather events, and climate change. The Visible Infrared Radiometer Suite instrument will collect imagery for global observations of the land, atmosphere, cryosphere, and oceans. Launching as a secondary payload to JPSS-2 is NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID), dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter. LOFTID is a demonstration of a hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, or aeroshell, technology that could one day help land humans on Mars. — A crew offloaded the ULA Atlas V payload fairing from its transport container in building B7525 at Vandenberg on Aug. 8, 2022, for NASA and NOAA’s JPSS-2 satellite mission. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

Riding as a secondary payload aboard the Atlas V is NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) – a demonstration of a cross-cutting inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, for atmospheric re-entry. The mission is dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter, a manager of advanced programs at ULA who championed lower-cost access to space and technologies to make that a reality. The technology demonstrated by LOFTID could be used for crewed and large robotic missions to Mars.

Once JPSS-2 reaches orbit, LOFTID will be put on a re-entry trajectory from low-Earth orbit to demonstrate the heat shield’s ability to slow down and survive re-entry. The project is sponsored by the Technology Demonstration Missions program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in partnership with ULA. LOFTID is managed by the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, with contributions from various NASA centers: Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for managing the launch service.