Daily News
NASA and SpaceX Launch NOAA’s Latest Weather Satellite, GOES-U, on Falcon Heavy Rocket
NASA and SpaceX launched GOES-U, the latest weather satellite, advancing Earth monitoring capabilities for better weather forecasting and climate resilience.
In a momentous achievement for weather forecasting and environmental monitoring, NASA and SpaceX successfully launched NOAA’s latest weather satellite, the GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite), on Tuesday at 5:26 p.m. EDT. The launch took place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
Following the successful deployment of the spacecraft’s solar arrays at 10:18 p.m., mission managers confirmed that the spacecraft was operating on its own power. This fourth and final satellite in a series of advanced weather satellites for NOAA will provide continuous coverage of weather and hazardous environmental conditions across a significant portion of the Western Hemisphere.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson highlighted the crucial role that satellites like GOES-U play in monitoring real-time weather conditions, especially as communities worldwide face the impacts of extreme weather events. The advanced capabilities of the GOES constellation not only enable enhanced terrestrial weather prediction but also help forecasters predict space weather phenomena that can affect satellite electronics, GPS systems, and radio communications.
One of the notable advancements on the GOES-U satellite is the inclusion of a new space weather instrument, the Compact Coronograph-1, designed to allow scientists to observe the solar atmosphere with greater clarity by blocking the bright light from the Sun.
Nicky Fox, Associate Administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, emphasized the wide range of applications for GOES data, underlining its importance in tracking climate changes, providing early warnings for severe weather, and contributing to disaster preparedness efforts globally.
Upon reaching its designated geostationary orbit approximately 22,200 miles above Earth, GOES-U will be renamed GOES-19. After a series of orbital checks and tests, it will begin its operational service, monitoring weather patterns over North America, including the contiguous United States, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of Africa.
The successful launch of GOES-U marks a critical step in enhancing weather forecasting capabilities and improving safety for communities in the Western Hemisphere. Government agencies like NASA and NOAA, along with industry partners like Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies, continue to collaborate in advancing Earth observation technology to better inform and protect the public.
As the new GOES-19 satellite begins its operational duties, forecasters and researchers anticipate leveraging its data to further enhance our understanding of weather patterns, space weather effects, and climate variability, ultimately supporting efforts to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters and safeguard human lives and infrastructure on Earth.
For more information about GOES, visit: