Joint Polar Satellite System | NESDIS | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Official websites use .gov .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS lock ) or means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Joint Polar Satellite System The Mission 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 orbit Earth from pole to pole 14 times a day, ensuring full global coverage twice daily. 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 Fact Sheet Explore Satellite and Instruments Learn about the JPSS fleet of satellites and the instruments onboard. Satellite Facts Satellite and Instruments 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. JPSS Science Ground System Learn about the series of antennas, communications networks, and processing facilities that make up the JPSS Ground System. JPSS Ground System 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 JPSS Education Key Facts JPSS-4 JPSS-4 is the next satellite to be slated to launch in 2027. 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. 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. 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 Note to screen-readers: This page is using an IFrame for the content-area, and you screen reader may not be abel to see it on this website. For screen-reading purposes, please go directly to the IFrame's target page by going to JPSS Links Science Education Image & Media Gallery Our Office JPSS News image Earth from Orbit Earth Day 2026 On Earth Day, we marvel at our extraordinary home through the eyes of our sentinels in the sky.… April 22, 2026 image Feature Story 5 Ways NOAA’s Satellites Support Emergency Managers and First Responders NOAA satellites help predict and detect early threats, track weather events as they happen, and map… April 20, 2026 View More Office of Low Earth Orbit Observations