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Satnews Daily
May 23rd, 2018

Northrop Grumman Obtains Contract Mod for DMSP Sensor Sustainment


Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. has been awarded a US$7,138,693 firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contract modification (P00008) to a previously awarded contract (FA8803-17-C-0001) for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program sensor sustainment.


Artistic rendition of an on orbit a DMSP satellite.

This contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for sensor sustainment of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program on orbit constellation being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed in Azusa, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Boulder, Colorado; and Dallas, Texas, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2019.

The total cumulative face value of the contract is US$14,161,180. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity.

The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program has been collecting weather data for U.S. military operations for more than five decades and provides assured, secure global weather and space weather data to support DOD operations.

Two primary operational DMSP satellites are in sun-synchronous orbits at about 450 nautical miles (nominal). The primary weather sensor on DMSP is the Operational Linescan System, which provides continuous visual and infrared imagery of cloud cover over an area 1,600 nautical miles wide. Global coverage of weather features is accomplished every 14 hours providing essential data over data-sparse and data-denied areas. Additional satellite sensors measure atmospheric vertical profiles of moisture and temperature. Military weather forecasters can detect developing patterns of weather and track existing weather phenomena over remote areas, including the presence of severe thunderstorms, hurricanes and typhoons.

Other DMSP sensors measure space environmental parameters such as local charged particles,  electromagnetic fields, and ionospheric characteristics to assess the impact of the natural environment on ballistic-missile early warning radar systems, long-range communications and satellite communications. Additionally, data is used to monitor global auroral activity and to predict the effects of the space environment on satellite operations.