NASA successfully launched the fourth and final satellite in a series of advanced weather satellites for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) on Tuesday at 5:26 PM EDT. The GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) will benefit the nation by providing continuous coverage of weather and hazardous environmental conditions across much of the Western Hemisphere.
“As communities across the country and around the world feel the impacts of extreme weather, satellites like GOES-U are closely monitoring the weather to track 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 to prepare for severe storms, fire detection and more. This fleet of advanced satellites will strengthen resilience against our changing climate and protect humanity from weather hazards on Earth and in space.”
In addition to its critical role in predicting Earth’s weather, the GOES constellation of satellites helps forecasters predict near-Earth space weather that can disrupt satellite electronics, GPS and radio communications. The GOES-U satellite exceeds the capabilities of its predecessors with a new space weather instrument, the Compact Coronograph-1, that blocks the sun’s bright light so scientists can observe the relatively fainter solar atmosphere.
“There are so many applications for GOES data – many of which have a direct impact on our daily lives here on Earth,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “GOES-U will contribute to the global data base, allowing NASA and NOAA to monitor changes in our climate and also provide critical information before severe weather events and natural disasters occur. NASA looks forward to working with NOAA again as we enter the next generation of Earth observation satellites.”
Once GOES-U is in geostationary orbit, approximately 36,200 kilometers above Earth, it will be renamed GOES-19. After a successful orbital checkout of its instruments and systems, GOES-19 will enter service and monitor weather across most of North America, including the contiguous United States and Mexico, as well as Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean as far west as Africa.
“The data GOES-U will provide is critical to protecting the safety of people in the Western Hemisphere,” said John Gagosian, director of NASA’s Joint Agency Satellite Division. “With this successful launch, forecasters will have a tool to better inform and educate the public.”
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversaw the procurement of the GOES-R series spacecraft and instruments and built the magnetometer 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 an integrated NOAA-NASA office that manages the ground system, operates the satellites and distributes data to users worldwide. Lockheed Martin designs, builds and tests the GOES-R series satellites. L3Harris Technologies will supply the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, and the ground system, including the data reception antenna system.
For more information about GOES, please visit:
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
peter.jacobs@nasa.gov
Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov