NASA Hands Over Lightning Observer Instrument Making Contract To Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin received a new contract from NASA (photo: dock. Lockheed Martin)

NASA, representing the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), awarded an instrument development contract to map lightning to Lockheed Martin on September 17.

The contract, which is part of NOAA's Geostationary Extension Observations (GeoXO) satellite program, is worth around $297.1 million. This contract period reaches 15 years with 10 years of operation and 5 years of storage in orbit.

Through its official website, NASA explains that the contract for the development of this lightning mapping instrument includes the creation of two instruments for flights as well as the option of two additional units. This instrument will be made at two Lockheed Martin and Goddard Space Flight Center facilities.

"The scope of this contract includes the tasks and results needed to design, analyze, develop, create, integrate, test, verify, and evaluate lightning-mapping instruments," NASA said in its report.

The development of this instrument will improve the performance of the GeoXO Lightning Mapper instrument. This technology is expected to detect, locate, and measure the intensity, duration, and extent of lightning strikes across the hemisphere.

As a follow-up instrument of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R (GOES-R), this device will analyze possible severe storms, increase warning waiting times for dangerous weather, to provide early indications of lightning strikes.

"The data will be used to predict hurricane intensity, detect and respond to forest fires, estimate rainfall, and reduce flight hazards," NASA explained. "The data is also available more frequently than local radars and fills the radar coverage gap."