NOAA Space Weather Next spacecraft to be developed by BAE Systems
NewsFebruary 24, 2025
BOULDER, Colorado. BAE Systems won a $230.6 million contract from NASA to develop spacecraft for the Lagrange 1 Series project as part of NOAA’s Space Weather Next program, NASA announced in a statement.
The contract, issued under the Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition IV framework, covers the design and construction of up to two spacecraft, integration of instruments, satellite-level testing, training for flight operations, and mission support, the statement reads. Work will be performed at BAE Systems’ facility in Boulder, with the period of performance extending from February 2025 to February 2035.
The Space Weather Next program aims to maintain real-time coronal imagery and solar wind measurements from the Lagrange 1 point, located approximately one million miles from Earth. The first Lagrange 1 Series launch, scheduled for 2029, will ensure continuity of space weather data as NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On Lagrange 1 mission nears the end of operations, NASA says.
These observations support NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, which provides forecasts and warnings to mitigate potential disruptions to power grids, communication networks, and navigation systems caused by solar activity, the statement adds.
