KBR announced on Thursday that it has been awarded a five-year $51.2 million contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to deploy, develop and operate the agency's Space Weather Follow-On (SWFO) Antenna Network. The contract work will deliver accurate forecasts of space weather, protecting lives and livelihoods worldwide.
"Accurate space weather data helps protect national security and our economic well-being. This new contract with NOAA aligns with our sustainability principles and gives us another opportunity to use our scientific and technological expertise to build a better world," commented Byron Bright, president of Global Government Solutions for KBR and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient.
The contract requires KBR to build and maintain an antenna network that sends and receives continuous mission data from the SWFO-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory and its ground segment. The company’s network will perform telemetry, command and ranging services for observatory operations.
The SWFO-L1 is a future outer space mission designed to monitor solar storms hazardous to Earth’s communication networks. The spacecraft will be placed at the first Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L1) in late 2024 and will supply critical images and data to the National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center for alerts and forecasting.
KBR will execute the contract at its facilities in Fulton, Maryland, NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland and NOAA facilities in Wallops, Virginia, and Fairmont, West Virginia.
The company has over 30 years of work experience in Earth science and data visualization operations for government agencies, such as NOAA, U.S. Geological Survey and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
About KBR
KBR delivers science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 29,000 people worldwide, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers worldwide to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results.
