Joint Polar Satellite System

The Mission

Artist 3D render of the JPSS-4 in space above the Earth

Render of JPSS-4

NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) provides global observations that serve as the backbone of both short- and long-term forecasts, including those that help us predict and prepare for severe weather events. The five satellites scheduled in the fleet are the currently-flying NOAA/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite, NOAA-20, previously known as JPSS-1, NOAA-21, previously known as JPSS-2, and the upcoming JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 satellites.

JPSS-4, to be renamed NOAA-22 in orbit, will be the next JPSS satellite to launch, with a launch readiness date of 2027. In addition to the four instruments flying on NOAA-21, JPSS-4 will include Libera, an instrument that will improve our understanding of trends in Earth’s energy imbalance and our changing climate.

JPSS satellites circle the Earth from pole to pole and cross the equator about 14 times daily in the afternoon orbit to provide full global coverage twice a day. In doing so, they provide the majority of data that informs numerical weather forecasting in the U.S. and deliver critical observations during severe weather events like hurricanes and blizzards.

View Fact Sheet

Explore

Satellite and Instruments

Learn about the JPSS fleet of satellites and the instruments onboard.

Satellite Facts

JPSS Science

The JPSS Program Science Team ensures the scientific integrity of the JPSS mission as well as develops and trains scientific products and applications.

Learn more

Ground System

Learn about the series of antennas, communications networks, and processing facilities that make up the JPSS Ground System.

JPSS Ground System

JPSS Education

STEM activities and lessons to teach K-12 students and the general public about how and why polar-orbiting weather satellites observe Earth and its atmosphere.

Educational Resources

Key Facts

When is the next launch?

JPSS-4

JPSS-4 is the next satellite to be slated to launch in 2027.

How many satellites are in the JPSS constellation?

A artist rendering of the JPSS Program Satellites

The five satellites scheduled in the fleet are the currently-flying NOAA/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite, NOAA-20, previously known as JPSS-1, NOAA-21, previously known as JPSS-2, and the upcoming JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 satellites.

What are the instruments onboard?

Each satellite carries at least four state-of-the-art instruments, including the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), the Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS). Some of the satellites, like Suomi NPP, NOAA-20 and JPSS-4, carry an instrument to measure the Earth’s energy budget: the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) and Libera.

Where is it launched from?

Image of the atlas five rocket launch carrying JPSS-2 Satellite

JPSS is launched form Vandenberg Space Force in California. The satellite needs to launch from the West Coast in order to get into the right position for a polar orbit.

NOAA-21, NOAA-20, and Suomi NPP Orbits

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