Atlas V 401 | JPSS 2 (Joint Polar Satellite System spacecraft No. 2) & LOFTID

Atlas V 401

Nov 10, 9:49 AM UTC

Mission Elapsed Time

T-00:00:00

Mission Details

JPSS is a collaborative program between NOAA and NASA. JPSS-2 is one of five satellites that will comprise the JPSS constellation. These spacecraft gather global measurements of atmospheric, terrestrial and oceanic conditions, including sea and land surface temperatures, vegetation, clouds, rainfall, snow and ice cover, fire locations and smoke plumes, atmospheric temperature, water vapor and ozone. LOFTID is a tech demo for the inflatable heatshield technology. It will attempt to survive a reentry from orbit after JPSS 2 is separated. This test will validate the technology for various applications, such as landing large payloads on Mars and engine reuse on ULA’s Vulcan rocket.

Type: Earth Science
Orbit: Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
Programs: NASA Large Strategic Science Missions

Launch Site

Pad: Space Launch Complex 3E
Location: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Country: 🇺🇸 USA