General Atomics to build second Space Force weather satellite

General Atomics will provide three years of operational services for two Electro-Optical Weather System, or EWS, satellites. Credit: General Atomics

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Space Force awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems a contract for a second weather satellite.

Under the Space Systems Command contract modification announced July 11, General Atomics will provide three years of operational services for two Electro-Optical Weather System, or EWS, satellites.

“We are currently working toward the delivery of the first EWS satellite and associated ground systems, with spacecraft build and EO/IR payload testing well underway,” Scott Forney, president of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems said in a statement. “We are excited to begin the build and integration of a second EWS satellite to help support USSF efforts to extend [electro-optical/infrared] data collection capabilities as legacy DMSP satellites are retired.”

The Space Force is purchasing small weather satellites to replace the larger spacecraft launched decades ago through the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program.

In 2020, the Space Force tapped General Atomics, Orion Space Solutions and Raytheon Technologies to design a prototype EWS satellite. Two years later, San Diego-based General Atomics and Orion Space Solutions of Louisville, Colorado, each won contracts to develop and launch satellites to demonstrate weather imaging and cloud characterization.

The contract modification “is a testament to GA-EMS’ ability to design and deliver advanced EWS satellites that will provide timely, accurate weather data to support Department of Defense operations across all domains,” Forney said.

Under the new contract modification, General Atomics is the prime contractor responsible for developing, building, assembling, integrating and testing the spacecraft bus and electro-optical/infrared payload.  Subcontractors include Atmospheric and Environmental Research Inc. and Parsons Corp.

Gregg Burgess, GA-EMS Space Systems vice president, said in a statement that the company “continues to make excellent progress toward meeting EWS mission requirements.”

Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco.

Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She…
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