GEOSTATIONARY EXTENDED OBSERVATIONS (GEOXO) FLIGHT PROJECT IMAGER (GXI) DELIVERY OF ABI-5 FLIGHT UNIT AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) plans to issue a Sole Source new work Modification to L3Harris Technologies, Inc. for the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Imager (GXI) contract. This modification is for delivery of an Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI-5) and associated services. In support of NOAA’s GeoXO Program, NASA GSFC requires the delivery of the ABI-5 flight unit and associated services to ensure compatibility with spacecraft integration timelines and continuity in national environmental monitoring capabilities and severe weather predictions. The ABI-5 instrument is critical for geostationary observation and is aligned with mission requirements for on-orbit performance, dynamic environment survivability, and data consistency across the GOES constellation. The ABI-5 instrument was developed under the previous generation GOES-R series ABI contract as a government-retained spare. The instrument is fully assembled and remains in storage at the contractor’s facility. ABI-5 will be designated as the first Flight Model (FM) and will undergo spacecraft-level integration and test activities to support GeoXO mission implementation under the GXI contract.

Required efforts include:

• Perform the storage testing for the completed ABI-5 instrument, and any other necessary engineering work to certify that ABI-5 instrument is ready for flight
• Execution of pre-ship review and delivery of qualified flight hardware
• Provision of documentation and data packages in accordance with contract requirements
• Delivery of ABI-5 configured for spacecraft integration
• Support of spacecraft-level integration and system testing
• Participation in pre-launch testing and launch site operations
• Support of launch operations and early on-orbit validation
• Post-launch calibration to confirm operational performance

Based on the unique and highly intricate design of the ABI-5 instrument, along with required precision manufacturing processes, special test equipment, test fixtures, specialized and skilled workforce, in-depth calibration procedures, and institutional
expertise and knowledge required to provide the ABI-5 by April 2030, L3Harris Technologies is the only qualified vendor that meets the requirements for this procurement.