MELBOURNE, Fla. — L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has delivered its fourth imager to NASA, completing the series of advanced weather sensors for NOAA’s newest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and lays the groundwork for future imager programs.
The fourth Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) will be integrated into the GOES-U satellite, slated to launch in 2024, and will be operated by NOAA.
The ABI is the world’s most advanced imager, capable of capturing continuous images of Earth and scanning the Western Hemisphere every five minutes. For rapidly changing events like hurricanes, fires or thunderstorms, ABI can take images as often as every 30 seconds.
L3Harris is developing concepts for the next generation of geostationary weather imagers and sounders, as part of NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Program. Scheduled to launch in the 2030s, GeoXO will significantly improve the accuracy and timeliness of U.S. weather forecasting.
“The L3Harris imagers onboard the GOES series of satellites provide revolutionary technology by not only advancing weather observation and environmental monitoring services, but also providing more advanced notice of fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and floods,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “We look forward to developing even more advanced weather satellite technology with the next generation of weather satellites.”
The third ABI is onboard NOAA’s GOES-T satellite, scheduled to launch March 1, 2022 from Cape Canaveral. The first two satellites in the GOES-R series are in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above Earth providing coverage over the Western Hemisphere. All four GOES satellites will be under command and control of the L3Harris-built enterprise ground system.
About L3Harris Technologies
L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers’ mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across space, air, land, sea and cyber domains. L3Harris has approximately $18 billion in annual revenue and 47,000 employees, with customers in more than 100 countries. L3Harris.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Such statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements about the value or expected value of orders, contracts or programs and about system capabilities are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. L3Harris disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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