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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchNASA selected SpaceX in July 2024 to launch NOAA’s JPSS-4 environmental satellite on a Falcon 9. The firm-fixed-price contract is valued at approximately $112.7 million—often rounded to $113 million—and covers launch services and other mission-related costs, not the satellite itself. The mission is currently targeted for 2027 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California; no exact liftoff date has been announced in the cited program information.
What SpaceX won—and what the $112.7 million covers
NASA announced the award to Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, on July 22, 2024. NASA is acting for NOAA’s JPSS-4 mission, within the joint NASA–NOAA Joint Polar Satellite System program. The award is a firm-fixed-price contract: the government agreed to a set price for the defined scope, subject to the contract’s terms and any modifications.
The approximately $112.7 million figure includes launch services and other mission-related costs. NASA’s announcement does not provide a line-item breakdown, so it should not be read as the price of a Falcon 9 rocket alone. The contract is for getting the satellite launched; it is not an award to build JPSS-4. NASA’s contract announcement identifies the vehicle as Falcon 9 and the launch site as Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
What JPSS-4 will do
JPSS is the United States’ operational series of polar-orbiting environmental satellites. Its observations cover the atmosphere, land, oceans and coastal regions, and feed numerical weather prediction as well as environmental and climate research. NOAA says the satellites orbit pole to pole about 14 times a day, supporting global coverage roughly twice daily.
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These data are used to monitor conditions relevant to hurricanes, severe storms, wildfires, drought, snow and ice, and other hazards. They help provide the observations that forecasters and emergency planners use; JPSS-4 alone is not a guarantee of a particular forecast improvement. The value comes from maintaining and extending the broader satellite system and its data records.
JPSS-4’s instruments: weather observations and Earth’s energy budget
NOAA says JPSS-4 will carry the four core instruments flying on NOAA-21, plus NASA’s Libera instrument. Together, they provide different kinds of measurements rather than one general-purpose image of Earth.
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| Instrument | What it measures or supports |
|---|---|
| VIIRS — Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite | Images and radiometric observations of land, ocean, clouds, fires, vegetation and other environmental features. |
| CrIS — Cross-track Infrared Sounder | Atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles. |
| ATMS — Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder | Microwave observations used for atmospheric sounding and weather forecasting. |
| OMPS — Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite | Ozone and related atmospheric measurements. |
| Libera | Earth’s radiation budget: how energy enters and leaves the Earth system, extending a long-running record used to study the planet’s energy balance. |
Libera’s climate-science role is distinct from the core instruments’ broad operational weather applications. NASA reported on January 30, 2026, that Libera had completed environmental testing and was ready for delivery. NASA describes the instrument and its energy-budget mission on its Libera mission page and in its testing update.
Why NASA is handling a NOAA satellite launch
NOAA is the operational weather and environmental-data agency and the principal user of JPSS data. NASA contributes development and acquisition expertise, including responsibility for acquiring flight systems and managing launch services within the partnership. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center manages the launch-services work; NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the JPSS Flight Projects Office. The agencies’ division of responsibility is described in the NASA–NOAA JPSS implementation plan.
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Where JPSS-4 fits in the satellite sequence
JPSS-4 is the next satellite in the program sequence described by NOAA. Suomi NPP, launched in 2011, served as a technology demonstration and bridge mission. JPSS-1 became NOAA-20 after reaching orbit in 2017, and JPSS-2 became NOAA-21 after its 2022 launch. JPSS-3 is also in development. NOAA says JPSS-4 is expected to take the name NOAA-22 once it reaches orbit; until then, JPSS-4 is the appropriate mission name.
When is the launch, and how firm is the schedule?
NASA’s 2024 award announcement targeted JPSS-4 for 2027, and NOAA’s current program page lists a 2027 launch-readiness target. That is a planning target, not a confirmed launch date or a guarantee of liftoff during the calendar year. The available NASA and NOAA program information does not state an exact date.
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- SAFETY FIRST, FUN ALWAYS: Our rockets are designed to be used with the NAR (National Association of Rocketry) model-rocket safety code. Always ensure you have an appropriate launch site, stand back at least 15 ft., insert the safety key, issue a countdown, and then you can let your rocket fly!
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Readiness and launch timing depend on the spacecraft and instruments completing preparation and integration, as well as launch-vehicle availability, range access, weather, and safety or regulatory constraints. A firm-fixed-price award does not mean schedules or requirements can never change. NOAA’s current JPSS program page and NASA’s JPSS mission page provide program status; older NOAA material listing a later JPSS-4 date should not be treated as the current target.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the award matters beyond SpaceX
The contract is a procurement decision that gives a commercial launch provider responsibility for a major civil Earth-observation mission. Its practical significance is tied to continuity: weather models, hazard monitoring, and long-term environmental records rely on a succession of capable polar-orbiting satellites, not a single launch in isolation. After launch, usable benefits also depend on successful spacecraft operations, calibrated instruments, ground processing, and the timely delivery of data to forecasters and researchers.
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- SAFETY FIRST, FUN ALWAYS: Our rockets and rocket launch accessories are designed to be used with the NAR (National Association of Rocketry) model-rocket safety code. Always ensure you have an appropriate launch site, stand back at least 15 ft., insert the safety key, issue a countdown, and then you can let your rocket fly!
- WE IGNITE IMAGINATIONS: Since 1958, Estes has created educational rocket kits designed for an unforgettable launch experience. As a family-owned company, we have grown to offer exciting STEM products that engage aspiring rocketeers and the future minds of aerospace.
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