June 25: NASA & SpaceX to Launch NOAA’s Latest Weather Eye, GOES-U
NASA and SpaceX have postponed the launch of NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R Series’ last satellite, GOES-U, setting a new date for its journey to space. This pivotal mission is now slated for a Tuesday, June 25 departure aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida.
This adjustment in schedule comes after the discovery of a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon Heavy’s core booster during a standard inspection of the new booster in February. The delay has provided the necessary time for the teams to conduct thorough repairs and testing to ensure the booster’s readiness for the mission.
The GOES-R Series satellites, under the stewardship of NOAA, are pivotal for enhancing weather forecasting capabilities. They deliver sophisticated imagery, precise atmospheric measurements, instant lightning activity maps, and critical space weather data.
The recent announcement from NASA and SpaceX has reignited enthusiasm for the #GOESU launch. With the liquid oxygen leak issue resolved, the mission teams are geared up for this essential launch. The soon-to-be-launched GOES-U, which will be rechristened as GOES-19 upon reaching its geostationary orbit, is equipped with an array of instruments designed to elevate our capability to spot and monitor space weather threats. Among these instruments are the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) and Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS), both of which are key to observing the sun and identifying solar flares. Additionally, the Compact Coronagraph-1 (CCOR-1) will offer views of the solar corona to detect coronal mass ejections (CMEs), while the Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS) and Magnetometer will track energetic particles and magnetic field fluctuations related to space weather events.
The deployment of NOAA’s GOES-U satellite is a critical step forward in our ability to monitor and understand environmental phenomena that pose threats to the safety and security of populations across the Western Hemisphere, providing invaluable data on atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar, and space conditions.
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