Inactive

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD), is conducting market research for the purpose of assessing the curr... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD), is conducting market research for the purpose of assessing the current and near future marketplace and potential vendors capable of providing up to 78,000 General Purpose 26 km (GP-26) aerological sounding balloons annually to support NWS radiosonde observations required by the Office of Observations (OBS) and its NWS Weather Forecast Offices. An aerological sounding balloon is a balloon used to carry radiosondes aloft. Radiosondes measure atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed, and wind direction from the surface to an altitude of approximately 30,000 meters. The radiosonde observations are a critical source of meteorological data for weather forecast models. The NWS radiosonde observations provide atmospheric observations for development of watches, warnings, weather forecasts and aviation support. The NOAA/NWS publishes 3-hour, 6-hour, 12-hour, 24-hour, and 48-hour upper level atmospheric models for watches, warnings, forecasts, and aviation support.