The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) of San Antonio has been awarded a substantial $26.1 million contract to construct a vital space weather instrument for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
As detailed in the December 9th announcement, SwRI's responsibility encompasses the creation of two magnetometers designated for the Lagrange 1 Series project, a key component of NOAA’s Space Weather Next program. These magnetometers will meticulously measure the interplanetary magnetic field generated by the solar wind. The collected data will be subsequently channeled to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, facilitating the issuance of forecasts, warnings, and alerts designed to mitigate the effects of space weather events.
SwRI's involvement, slated for completion in January 2034, includes a comprehensive scope of work. This involves the design, analysis, development, fabrication, integration, testing, verification, and evaluation of the magnetometers. Furthermore, SwRI will provide support for the instruments' launch, maintain ground equipment, and contribute to post-launch mission operations at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Maryland.
Additional facets of the contract will be executed in San Antonio, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA and NOAA will collaboratively oversee the development, launch, testing, and operation of the satellites within the Lagrange 1 Series project. NOAA assumes responsibility for providing program requirements, funding, program management, operations, data products, and data dissemination. NASA and its commercial partners will handle the development and construction of the instruments and spacecraft, as well as providing launch services on behalf of NOAA.
SwRI, based in San Antonio, is also actively engaged in constructing three coronagraphs for NOAA’s Space Weather Next program and the QuickSounder weather satellite for NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit Network.