LAFAYETTE, Colo., June 12,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RTX's (NYSE: RTX) small
satellite manufacturer and mission services provider, Blue Canyon
Technologies, was selected to build two 12U CubeSat buses for
NASA's PolSIR mission, which will study ice clouds that form at
high altitudes throughout tropical and sub-tropical regions. In
addition to designing and manufacturing the bus platforms, Blue
Canyon will also provide mission operations services.
The PolSIR instrument –Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud
Radiometer– will observe the full diurnal cycle of high-altitude
ice clouds to improve climate forecasts and provide climate models
with important insights on how Earth's atmosphere will change in
the future.
"Supporting this critical mission builds on our heritage of
weather monitoring missions including TEMPEST-D and TROPICS," said
Chris Winslett, general manager of
Blue Canyon Technologies.
Each spacecraft will be equipped with radiometers that will
observe the clouds' daily cycle of ice content through two separate
wavelengths in two spectral bands and will fly in orbits separated
by three to nine hours. Over time, these two instruments will
observe the clouds' daily cycle of ice content.
NASA Goddard will provide the project management team that
builds the two instruments for the Principal Investigator led
mission from Vanderbilt University, and
science operations will be conducted by the Space Science and
Engineering Center at the University of
Wisconsin – Madison. For more information on the
PolSIR mission, visit vanderbilt.edu/polsir.
About Blue Canyon Technologies
Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT), RTX's small satellite manufacturer
and mission services provider, offers a diverse portfolio of
innovative, reliable, and affordable spacecraft and components that
enable a broad range of missions and technological advancements for
the new space economy. The company currently supports numerous
unique missions with more than 140 cumulative spacecraft
orders.
About RTX
With more than 185,000 global employees, RTX pushes the limits of
technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our
world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace,
Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation,
engineering integrated defense systems, and developing
next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help
global customers address their most critical challenges. The
company, with 2023 sales of $69
billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact
corporatepr@rtx.com
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SOURCE RTX