Ball Aerospace Completes Sensor Integration on NASA Weather Satellite

[Satellite TODAY 07-26-10] Ball Aerospace & Technologies has completed integration and performance testing of the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) that will fly aboard NASA‘s National Preparatory Project (NPP) weather satellite, Ball announced July 23.
    The sensor arrived at Ball Aerospace June 18 and was completely integrated on the NPP satellite by July 14. The satellite now will undergo environmental testing at Ball Aerospace prior to its scheduled launch in October 2011.
    CrIS, an advanced infrared sensor built by ITT Corp., is part of the five-instrument suite that will aim to allow the NPP satellite to collect and distribute remotely sensed land, ocean and atmospheric data to the meteorological and global climate change communities. The advanced sensor suite will provide atmospheric and sea surface temperatures, humidity sounding, land and ocean biological productivity and cloud and aerosol properties.