NOAA-21

NOAA-21, the second satellite in NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), flies a polar orbit alongside NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP to provide twice-daily global atmospheric coverage. Its VIIRS, CrIS, ATMS, and OMPS instruments collect data across the atmosphere to support weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and environmental observation.

The secondary payload, LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator), tested a 6-metre inflatable aeroshell for atmospheric reentry. Deployed and de-orbited following NOAA-21's separation, LOFTID was the first full-scale test of this aeroshell concept at orbital velocity; it re-entered successfully and splashed down southeast of Hawaii, where it was recovered intact.

This was the final Atlas V launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, the last flight of the 401 configuration, and the final Atlas V mission to fly with a four-meter fairing.