For more than a decade, the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite has supported NASA’s Earth Observing System, delivering critical observations of our planet’s land, oceans, and atmosphere. Through NASA’s Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE), Suomi NPP data products—most notably from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS)—have provided time-critical data to disaster responders, atmospheric modelers, and wildfire management teams worldwide.
The primary operational workflows are now the satellites of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) series; specifically NOAA-20 (JPSS-1) and NOAA-21 (JPSS-2).
Why Is the Transition Happening?
Delivery of new science data from the Suomi NPP satellite ceased at 15:40 Universal Time (UTC) on November 2, 2026 (2026/306). More details can be found in the official NESDIS announcement and on NASA Earthdata Suomi NPP Observations to Cease on November 2, 2026.
Affected Instruments and LANCE Near Real-Time Products
The transition primarily impacts downstream products generated by the following instruments:
VIIRS
Core LANCE VIIRS NRT data streams undergoing transition include:
- Active Fire/Thermal Anomalies: (e.g., VNP14IMGTDL to VJ114IMGTDL and VJ214IMGTDL)
- Aerosol Optical Depth and Deep Blue Aerosols: Atmospheric aerosol tracking for air quality alerts and modeling
- Surface Reflectance and Imagery: Global imagery layers integrated into NASA Worldview and Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS)
- Flood and Surface Water Mapping: Operational flood detection algorithms utilizing the 375 m I-bands
OMPS
OMPS monitors the ozone layer, volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, and UV aerosol indices:
- Volcanic Hazards: NRT SO2 tracking used by Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAACs) and aviation safety authorities.
- Aerosol Index: Real-time tracking of dust storms, smoke plumes, and pyrocumulonimbus events.
A listing of all LANCE products from Suomi NPP and, if available, their equivalent NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 products, will also shortly be posted on the Suomi NPP VIIRS Data Transition Resources webpage.
Key Differences and File Naming Conventions
When migrating your data feeds from Suomi NPP to NOAA-20 or NOAA-21, the primary adjustment involves handling updated product shortnames and file naming conventions.
| INSTRUMENT / PRODUCT CATEGORY | SUOMI NPP PREFIX | NOAA-20 (JPSS-1) PREFIX | NOAA-21 (JPSS-2) PREFIX |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIIRS Land / Fire / Reflectance | VNP (e.g., VNP14IMG) | VJ1 (e.g., VJ114IMG) | VJ2 (e.g., VJ214IMG) |
| VIIRS Atmosphere | AERBD_L2_VIIRS_SNPP | AERBD_L2_VIIRS_NOAA20 | AERBD_L2_VIIRS_NOAA21 |
| OMPS Ozone / SO2 | NPP_NMTO3-L2 | J1_NMTO3-L2 | J2_NMTO3-L2 |
Note: File structures, coordinate reference systems, and HDF-EOS5/NetCDF-4 formats remain largely consistent with standard VIIRS and OMPS specifications.
Action Items for LANCE Users
The following action items can be implemented if you rely on automated scripts, APIs, or direct downloads to ingest LANCE near real-time data:
- Update API Scripts and File Harvest Paths: Update automated download routines (e.g., via Earthdata HTTPS endpoints or subscription systems) to request NOAA-20 (VJ1) and NOAA-21 (VJ2) product streams instead of solely relying on VNP (Suomi NPP).
- Incorporate Multi-Satellite Feeds for Hazards: For hazard detection applications (such as FIRMS), ingesting both NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 alongside Suomi NPP increases the probability of detecting transient events and reduces latency between observation passes.
- Verify Baseline Coordinates and LUTs: Ensure your local ingestion pipelines reference the appropriate Look-Up Tables (LUTs) and geolocation files specific to NOAA-20 and NOAA-21.
- Subscribe to LANCE / Earthdata Mailing Lists: lance-users@lists.nasa.gov, lance-firms-users@lists.nasa.gov, lance-viirs-atmos@lists.nasa.gov, lance-modis-join@lists.nasa.gov, ozone-nrt-users-join@lists.nasa.gov.
Summary
The transition from Suomi NPP to NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 ensures that LANCE users continue to receive the timely, high-quality, and robust Earth observation data required for operational decision-making. By updating your data workflows now, you can avoid service interruptions and take advantage of the superior radiometric performance and continuity provided by the JPSS series.