Colorado lab grabs satellite sensor deal

The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado-Boulder will build sensors for environmental satellites under a $92 million contract awarded by NASA.

NASA awarded the contract in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites Program.

The laboratory will build the Extreme Ultra Violet and X-Ray Irradiance Sensors that will fly on the next series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites. The instruments will help forecast solar disturbances that can affect communications and navigational operations.

The new satellites will upgrade existing weather and environmental monitoring capabilities. The first launch of the series is scheduled for December 2014.

The design and development of the instruments will be performed at the contractor's facility in Boulder, Colo. The laboratory also will provide post-delivery support for GOES-R.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funds, operates and manages the GOES program. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the acquisition of GOES-R instruments for NOAA.