Ball Aerospace Delivers First of Space Force’s New Weather Satellite

Ball Aerospace has delivered Space Systems Command’s Weather System Follow-on Microwave satellite, one of the two satellites it is making for the U.S. Space Force’s next-generation operational environmental satellite system.

Thai Sheridan, vice president and general manager for military space, said the satellite offers a new level of environmental intelligence for military forces across all domains. He added that the company is honored to support the safety of warfighters and ensure the success of critical operations.

Delivered at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara, California, the satellite features a Ball-built Microwave Imager to capture real-time data on sea ice and surface winds, tropical cyclone intensity and soil moisture. It is scheduled to launch in late March aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, Ball Aerospace said.

After securing the contract for the first satellite in 2017, the spacecraft manufacturer secured a $78.2 million contract to build the second WSF-M satellite in November 2022. The satellite will replace the aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program.