NOAA's upcoming GeoXO satellites could be 'weather-monitoring platform of the future'

A cube-shaped satellite in orbit above earth points a laser-like light down onto the planet below.

For the second time in a row, Lockheed Martin will be at the forefront of the creation of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s next generation weather satellites.

Last month, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded the aerospace company a $2.27 billion contract to develop and manufacture spacecraft for the next generation of NOAA satellites that will follow the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series, Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO). The contract includes developing three initial spacecraft and will also allow the option for an additional four. Work on the satellites will be done both at Lockheed Martin's facility in Littleton, Colorado, and also at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.