Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
In August 2025, the JPSS-4 weather forecast satellite completed a key milestone when its solar array successfully unfolded in an accordion-like motion during testing at Northrop Grumman’s spacecraft facility in Gilbert, Arizona. This deployment test indicates that the satellite’s solar panels will successfully unfold in space, and the electrical connections and performance of the solar panels meet requirements.The solar array will collect sunlight and convert it into electricity for the spacecraft once in orbit.
The JPSS-4 satellite, to be renamed NOAA-22 once it reaches orbit after launch, will continue the work of its predecessors NOAA-21 (formerly known as JPSS-2), NOAA-20 (formerly known as JPSS-1), and the NASA-NOAA Suomi-NPP satellite. JPSS-4 will orbit Earth from the North to the South Pole, collecting critical observations that feed into weather forecast models and support forecasts for severe weather such as hurricanes, snowstorms, and floods. JPSS-4 is on track to be launch-ready in 2027.
Video is shown at twice the original speed.
Read more: nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaas-next-jpss-weather-satellite-jpss-4-completes-solar-array-deployment-test
Video credit: Northrop Grumman
In August 2025, the JPSS-4 weather forecast satellite completed a key milestone when its solar array successfully unfolded in an accordion-like motion during testing at Northrop Grumman’s spacecraft facility in Gilbert, Arizona. This deployment test indicates that the satellite’s solar panels will successfully unfold in space, and the electrical connections and performance of the solar panels meet requirements.The solar array will collect sunlight and convert it into electricity for the spacecraft once in orbit.
The JPSS-4 satellite, to be renamed NOAA-22 once it reaches orbit after launch, will continue the work of its predecessors NOAA-21 (formerly known as JPSS-2), NOAA-20 (formerly known as JPSS-1), and the NASA-NOAA Suomi-NPP satellite. JPSS-4 will orbit Earth from the North to the South Pole, collecting critical observations that feed into weather forecast models and support forecasts for severe weather such as hurricanes, snowstorms, and floods. JPSS-4 is on track to be launch-ready in 2027.
Video is shown at twice the original speed.
Read more: nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaas-next-jpss-weather-satellite-jpss-4-completes-solar-array-deployment-test
Video credit: Northrop Grumman
