NASA successfully launched the fourth and final satellite in its series of advanced weather satellites for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) at 5:26 pm EDT on Tuesday. GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) benefits the nation by providing continuous coverage of weather and hazardous environmental conditions over much of the Western Hemisphere.
satellite The spacecraft was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Mission managers confirmed at 10:18 p.m. that the spacecraft’s solar panels had deployed successfully and that the spacecraft was operating under its own power.
“As communities across the nation and around the world are impacted by extreme weather, satellites like GOES-U are watching closely to monitor the weather in real time,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA and NOAA have worked together for decades to bring critical data back to Earth for preparations for severe storms, fire detection, and more. This advanced constellation of satellites is making us more resilient to a changing climate and protecting us from weather hazards on Earth and in space.”
In addition to their vital role in ground-based weather forecasting, the GOES constellation also helps forecasters predict near-Earth space weather that may interfere with satellite electronics, GPS and radio communications. GOES-U satellites go beyond the capabilities of previous satellites by carrying a new space weather instrument, Compact Coronagraph-1, that blocks the bright light of the Sun and allows scientists to observe the relatively weak solar atmosphere.
“GOES data has a wide range of uses, many of which directly affect our daily lives on Earth,” said Nikki Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “GOES-U will add to the global data record, helping NASA and NOAA track changes in the climate and providing critical information before severe weather and natural disasters occur. NASA looks forward to working with NOAA again as we transition to the next generation of Earth-observing satellites.”
Once GOES-U enters geostationary orbit about 22,200 miles above Earth, it will be renamed GOES-19. After successful orbital checks of its instruments and systems, GOES-19 will begin operations and monitor weather over most of North America, including the continental U.S. and Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean down to the west coast of Africa.
“The data provided by GOES-U is critical to keeping people safe in the Western Hemisphere,” said John Gagosian, director of NASA’s Integrated Agency Satellite Division. “This successful launch will give forecasters the resources to better inform and educate the public.”
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversaw procurement of the GOES-R series of spacecraft and instruments and built the magnetometers for GOES-U and its predecessor, GOES-T. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, provided launch management for the mission.
The GOES-R series program is overseen by NOAA through the Integrated NOAA-NASA Office, which manages the ground systems, operates the satellites and distributes data to users worldwide. Lockheed Martin designs, builds and tests the GOES-R series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the ground systems, including the primary instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, and the antenna system for receiving the data.
For more information about GOES, see:
https://www.nasa.gov/content/goes
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Liz Vlock
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
Peter Jacobs
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
301-286-0535
Email:
Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov