Going Out Of Business Sale For JPL Satellites
Get your own satellite today! — NASAWatch.com
Keith’s note: according to sources at NASA JPL an effort is underway to get rid of their satellite inventory. JPL staff have been directed to start to prepare order and bidding forms for satellites so that they can be ready for sale to the highest bidder. In essence this is a ‘going out of business sale’ for JPL satellites that are supposed to be decommissioned. This sale includes including OCO-2, OCO-3, and payloads on the ISS. JPL is interested in government and private sector buyers. Update: But Wait: More Used Satellite Bargains At NASA
4 responses to “Going Out Of Business Sale For JPL Satellites”
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I’m confused by this – what satellites does JPL ‘own’? I thought OCO-2, 3 were awarded to jpl to build and operate but actually owned by nasa. Curious to learn more how it works.
You have to keep in mind the organizational structure of what you think of as JPL. JPL is comprised of civil servants and contractors. While JPL was awarded a contract to build a satellite, their contractors do the actual build (or is subbed out) and NASA doesn’t actually pay for the satellite until it is complete. Until NASA actually pays for them, they belong to the various companies who build them. What this article is saying is that there are several incomplete satellites that NASA has canceled and doesn’t intend to buy and they want to sell them to someone else. Key words are these are incomplete satellites and most likely are just the frame and don’t include the scientific modules, propulsion modules, navigation modules, power modules, etc.
JPL is an FFRDC operated by Caltech, so it is not run by civil servants. The ownership of the satellites does remain with NASA.
The article is about transferring the operation of currently operating satellites that the President’s Budget Request proposes decommissioning, not incomplete satellite hardware.
No, the examples given are already in orbit.