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NASA Entrusts Southwest Research Institute with Key NOAA Space Weather Mission Instruments

Published November 16, 2024
3 months ago

In a major step to enhance space weather forecasting capabilities, NASA, representing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has awarded a pivotal contract to the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) based in San Antonio, Texas. The contract, valued at approximately $60 million, involves building three advanced coronagraphs as part of NOAA’s Space Weather Next program, situated at the Lagrange 1 (L1) point in space.





The initiative underscores an ambitious collaboration to safeguard vital technological infrastructure from the unpredictable effects of solar activity. The coronagraphs are expected to play a critical role in enhancing the operation of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center by offering essential data necessary for forecasting space weather events that could disrupt electrical grids, communication, and navigation systems on Earth.


This move notably marks a shift in the development of coronagraph technology from the government domain to the commercial sector of the United States, which signifies an increased reliance on private industry expertise for advancing space-related endeavors. Under the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, the duration of the project spans from November of the current year until January 2034, with the conclusion set after the launch of the second coronagraph aboard a NOAA satellite. The provision includes a third coronagraph to be kept as a flight spare.


The designated tasks within SwRI’s contractual obligations pertain to the design, development, fabrication, and extensive testing of these sophisticated instruments. Support for post-launch operations at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility is also encompassed within the contract. Given the importance of SwRI's mission, all associated work will transpire at the institute's state-of-the-art facility in San Antonio, ensuring a dedicated and controlled environment for development.


The nuanced design of the coronagraphs will enable them to monitor the subtle density structures within the Sun’s corona, detecting coronal mass ejections headed toward Earth shortly after they occur. This capability is forecasted to provide the most extensive lead time possible for issuing geomagnetic storm warnings. The extended notice will be invaluable for both public authorities and private entities that rely on uninterrupted operation of satellites, power networks, and communications systems; enabling them to enact protective measures against potential space weather hazards.


Besides providing critical early warnings, these coronagraphs are set to ensure the continuity of valuable data from the up-and-coming Space Weather follow-on L1 mission. Collaboration remains the cornerstone of this mission's success, with NASA steering the development, launch, and operation of the instruments and spacecraft, while NOAA spearheads program management, operations, and dissemination of the mission’s data products to end-users.


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