NASA Awards Lockheed Martin $297M Contract for Advanced Lightning Mapper

The new lightning mapping technology will enhance severe weather predictions and is part of NOAA's GeoXO satellite program.

Lockheed Martin will develop two flight instruments with options for two more, under a $297.1 million contract awarded by NASA on behalf of NOAA.
The GeoXO Lightning Mapper will detect, locate, and measure the intensity, duration, and extent of lightning flashes.
The technology aims to improve severe storm warnings, hurricane intensity predictions, wildfire detection, and aviation safety.
The instruments will be developed at Lockheed Martin's facilities in Colorado and California, with support from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Kennedy Space Center.
The GeoXO satellite system, set to launch in the early 2030s, will succeed the current GOES-R series and provide enhanced Earth observations.