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Redwire Provides Solar Arrays for New Weather and Climate Research Satellite

March 29, 2022

Redwire Corporation supplying solar array technology that will power the newest of PlanetiQ's weather and climate monitoring satellites, GNOMES-3, which is aboard the Transporter 4 launch scheduled to lift off on April 1, 2022 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. GNOMES-3, the third satellite in the GNSS Navigation and Occultation Measurement Satellite series, is designed to collect more than 2,500 radio occultation measurements of Earth's atmosphere each day. Redwire solar arrays also powered the previous satellite in the series, GNOMES-2, which launched in 2021.

GNOMES-3 is part of a 20-satellite constellation that commercial weather satellite operator PlanetiQ plans to have operating in low-Earth orbit by 2024. These satellites are intended to collect high-quality weather, climate and space weather data using radio waves from navigation satellites like those in the GPS, GLONASS and Galileo networks. Data from GNOMES-3 will improve weather forecasting and climate research and allow for closer monitoring of space weather events, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, that can seriously affect technology in space and on Earth.

Reliable, durable and effective solar power technology is a key part of operating satellites like GNOMES-3. "The solar arrays Redwire supplied for GNOMES-2 and GNOMES-3 and future radio occultation satellites will lead to improved weather forecasts and climate research," said Tom Campbell, Executive Vice President of Redwire Deployable Solutions. "We are excited to be collaborating with PlanetiQ by powering these important missions and improving life on Earth through innovative space technologies."

The successful launch of GNOMES-3 adds to the growing constellation of weather satellites PlanetiQ is working on. At the same time, work continues toward future GNOMES satellites. Redwire is looking forward to partnering with PlanetiQ on future missions.

The selection of Redwire's solar arrays for the GNOMES project highlights the company's expertise in power generation technologies. Redwire solar arrays, both traditional rigid arrays and flexible solutions like the Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA), are powering a wide array of spacecraft ranging from weather satellites and the International Space Station to deep space probes.