The Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin have both been awarded significant contracts to develop and deliver advanced Earth observation instruments and satellites. Raytheon has been selected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to build and deliver three Earth observing instruments for the Landsat Next mission. The contract, valued at $506.7 million, includes a cost-plus-award-fee base period and a cost-plus-fixed-fee option period. The work will primarily be performed at Raytheon's facilities in El Segundo, California. Landsat Next is part of the USGS/NASA Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) program, which aims to ensure the continuity of critical land imaging capabilities. The mission will consist of a constellation of three smaller satellites and will deliver two to three times the data with improved temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution compared to previous Landsat sensors. Each Landsat Next instrument will capture data in 26 spectral bands, providing high-quality Earth observation data to support resource management, environmental stewardship, climate resiliency, and scientific research. The new 26-band super-spectral constellation will enhance existing and unlock new applications in water quality assessment, crop production, forest management, climate research, and mineral mapping. The partnership between USGS and NASA will contribute to the advancement of Earth science and the understanding of our planet's dynamics [57cc3e53].
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin in Littleton has secured a $2.27 billion deal with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop more accurate weather forecasts. The contract is for three spacecraft with options for four additional spacecraft. The goal is to build the weather satellite constellation known as NOAA's Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), which will take observations of the ocean and air pollution, produce more accurate weather forecasts, and address environmental issues and challenges. The first GeoXO constellation is planned to launch in the 2030s and last into 2050. This partnership between Lockheed Martin, NOAA, and NASA will significantly enhance our ability to monitor and understand weather patterns, improve forecasting accuracy, and address climate-related challenges [ac204734].