NASA and NOAA’s JPSS-2 mission will scan our planet as it orbits from North to South Pole

NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission is scheduled to lift off Tuesday, November 1, from Space Launch Complex-3E on Vandenberg. Ahead of the launch, the interstage adapter for the ULA Atlas V rocket that will launch the mission has arrived in California.

The Atlas V 401 rocket's boattail and interstage adapter arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base on July 28 for processing ahead of launch while the payload fairings arrived August 8, according to NASA's blog post.

Flight hardware for the rocket that will carry @NOAA's #JPSS2 🛰️ has arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base (@SLDelta30). This includes the rocket's boattail, interstage adapter, and payload fairings. Liftoff is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 1.Read more: https://t.co/2OUDG9OWTQ pic.twitter.com/GMALrtgJ4s

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) August 19, 2022

JPSS-2 is designed to scan the Earth as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day to provide full global coverage twice a day. The satellite will operate from about 512 miles above Earth and will be renamed NOAA-21 upon reaching orbit.

JPSS-2 is the third in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. The polar-orbiting satellite mission will help scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events and climate change.

The Atlas V rocket will also be carrying NASA's Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) – a demonstration of a cross-cutting inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, for atmospheric re-entry. After hitching a ride aboard the rocket, LOFTID will inflate and then descend back to Earth from low-Earth orbit to demonstrate how the inflatable heat shield can slow down a spacecraft to survive re-entry.

NASA says the technology demonstrated by LOFTID could be used for crewed and large robotic missions to Mars.