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.