NOAA to Deorbit the Suomi NPP Satellite after More than 15 Years in Service

After more than 15 years of collecting valuable environmental observations, NOAA plans to begin deorbiting its Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite starting on December 1, 2026. Over the course of approximately 12 days, the planned end-of-mission process will gradually lower the spacecraft’s orbit before it reenters Earth’s atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean.

Launched on October 28, 2011, Suomi NPP was originally developed in partnership with NASA as a pathfinder mission, or initial prototype, to demonstrate the advanced instruments and observing capabilities of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), NOAA’s current generation of polar-orbiting environmental satellites. Suomi NPP was designed for a five-year mission as the bridge between NOAA's legacy polar satellite fleet, NASA's Earth observing missions and NOAA’s JPSS constellation.

The planned deorbiting marks the end of a mission that significantly advanced NOAA’s ability to monitor weather and environmental conditions around the globe. 

Why Deorbit Suomi NPP?

As the spacecraft has aged, its instruments and other onboard systems have experienced degradation. Meanwhile, NOAA’s newer JPSS-2 and JPSS-1 satellites (renamed NOAA-21 and NOAA-20 in orbit) were launched in 2022 and 2017, respectively, to take on the primary and secondary roles of providing critical operational observations for weather forecasting and environmental monitoring. Suomi NPP has provided tertiary, or back up, observations since NOAA-21 became the primary satellite in the JPSS constellation in 2024.

Unlike some of NOAA’s older polar-orbiting satellites which were decommissioned and left in orbit, Suomi NPP was NOAA’s first low Earth orbit satellite designed to support a planned end-of-life disposal approach consistent with modern orbital debris mitigation practices.

Safely removing the spacecraft from orbit helps limit the long-term accumulation of human-made objects in space and supports the responsible use of Earth’s orbital environment. This is even more important as NOAA continues to launch additional low Earth orbiting satellites into the same orbital location in the upcoming decade. 

A Carefully Planned Descent

Beginning on December 1, 2026, NOAA’s Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) plans to carry out a series of maneuvers to lower Suomi NPP’s orbit over approximately 12 days.

Engineers will gradually reduce the satellite’s altitude in increments of approximately 30 miles (50 kilometers) every few days. Before and after each maneuver, engineers will monitor the spacecraft’s orbital position and health so that the descent proceeds safely and as planned. In addition, engineers will be performing assessments of the satellite’s adjusted orbit against other objects in space, including active spacecraft, to ensure its change in orbit does not cause any unintended events. Daily updates on the status of the deorbitting will be available via the NOAA Satellite Alerts page. 

Once the satellite reaches a final orbit of approximately 125 miles (200 kilometers) above Earth, operators will initiate the final maneuver leading to atmospheric reentry over a remote region in the South Pacific Ocean. This reentry location was chosen to match US Policy to limit the impact of surviving debris on individuals or property. 

The process is designed to bring the mission to a safe conclusion while accounting for the risks posed by objects in Earth’s increasingly crowded orbital environment.

A Continuing Legacy

Throughout its mission, Suomi NPP not only helped NOAA transition to a new generation of polar-orbiting environmental satellites, but also provided observations that helped scientists and forecasters monitor major weather events and environmental changes. Its instruments collected data on hurricanes and other storms, such as Superstorm Sandy, volcanic ash, wildfires, sea ice, vegetation, and more. 

Suomi NPP has far exceeded its initial technology expectations during its time, and NOAA looks forward to safely deorbiting the satellite to ensure the safety of space for future generations.