Audience
Educators, Students
Grade Levels
Grades 5-8, Grades 9-12, Informal Education
Subject
Earth Science, Engineering Design, Technology, Weather and Climate, Satellites
Type
Hands-on Activities, Lesson Plans / Activities
NOAA and NASA’s Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a series of polar-orbiting environmental satellites. Put your engineering skills to the test by assembling a paper model of JPSS-2, JPSS-3, or JPSS-4 using simple household supplies like tape and glue.
Learn more about the JPSS satellites as you fold and attach the components. The step-by-step instructions will help you build the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), the Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS), the solar panel, the main bus and a stand for displaying your creation. The JPSS-4 satellite has an additional instrument called Libera that you can build. Click here to learn what the instruments do.
NOTE: The components of the paper model in this PDF are not perforated. They need to be cut out with scissors into separate pieces for folding. It is recommended that you print out the template pages on heavy stock paper, like card stock. Click here to download.