NASA NPP Satellite Launches Soon

NASA NPP’s launch is coming up in just 3 weeks. The spacecraft is set to lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on a Delta II rocket. The launch window is 5:48:01 – 5:57:11 a.m. EDT (2:48:01 – 2:57:11 a.m. PDT).

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) represents a critical first step in building the next-generation Earth-observing satellite system that will collect data on both long-term climate change and short-term weather conditions.

NPP will extend and improve upon the Earth system data records established by NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS) fleet of satellites that have provided critical insights into the dynamics of the entire Earth system: clouds, oceans, vegetation, ice, solid Earth and atmosphere.