ORS 8 (Operationally Responsive Space 8) mission was planned as a gap-filling system to perform cloud characterization and theater weather imagery in place of the aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP-5D3) until WSF-E becomes available. The mission was managed by the US Air Force working with the NASA Ames Research Center’s small spacecraft prototyping office.
ORS-8, which was to be ready to launch in 2020, would receive $88 million in Fiscal 2018 budget proposal. ORS-8 was not to provide a long-term solution — that requirement will be met by Weather Satellite Follow-on E (WSF-E). But because WSF-E has an initial launch capability date of 2023, ORS was asked for ORS-8 to provide environmental monitoring in the meantime, to be launched in 2020.
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) was contracted to build the satellite, with EO Vista providing the sensor payload. After a protest by SSL, the contract with SNC was rescinded in January 2018 with further steps to be determined. ORS-8 was apparently cancelled in 2019 due to an extension of DMSP end-of-life.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Meteorology |
| Operator: | |
| Contractors: | Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) (prime); EO Vista (payload) |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | |
| Propulsion: | None |
| Power: | Solar arrays, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORS 8 | - | cancelled | with ? |
