BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Ball Aerospace successfully completed critical design review (CDR) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft. Ball will now proceed with production, integration and test of the spacecraft.
Expected to launch in 2025, SWFO-L1 will collect solar wind data and coronal imagery to meet NOAA’s operational requirements to monitor and forecast impacts from solar storm activity.
“The impacts of solar events such as coronal mass ejections can be significant, from knocking out communications satellites to disrupting the power grid,” said Dr. Makenzie Lystrup, vice president and general manager, Civil Space, Ball Aerospace. “SWFO will be an important tool in NOAA’s mission to monitor space weather, provide timely and accurate warnings, and help minimize the impact of these events on our infrastructure and economy.”
Ball Aerospace was selected by NASA to design, build and integrate the small satellite for NOAA’s SWFO-L1 mission in partnership with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Ball will also perform satellite-level testing, help train the flight operations team, check-out the satellite in orbit and support mission operations. The SWFO-L1 mission builds on the success of Ball’s spacecraft buses designed for operational weather missions like NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP, as well as high-performing small satellite missions like STPSats-2 and 3 and the Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM).
Ball Aerospace is also building an operational environmental satellite for the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center called the Weather System Follow-on – Microwave (WSF-M). WSF-M will host its own Energetic Charged Particle space weather sensor in addition to its primary instrument to measure ocean surface vector winds and tropical cyclone intensity.
Powered by endlessly curious people with an unwavering mission focus, Ball Aerospace pioneers discoveries that enable our customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most. We create innovative space solutions, enable more accurate weather forecasts, drive insightful observations of our planet, deliver actionable data and intelligence, and ensure those who defend our freedom go forward bravely and return home safely. Go Beyond with Ball.® For more information, visit www.ball.com/aerospace or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
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Ball Corporation (NYSE: BALL) supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 24,300 people worldwide and reported 2021 net sales of $13.8 billion. For more information, visit www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
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SOURCE Ball Aerospace
