The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is expected to launch the last satellite of their ‘GOES-R’ series Tuesday evening.
Deemed ‘GOES-U’, this final addition will aim to help prepare for and track weather both on Earth and in space.
According to a news release, the two-hour launch window opens at 4:16 p.m. CDT Tuesday, June 25. The satellite will launch into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
HAPPY LAUNCH DAY!!! 🚀
— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) June 25, 2024
Are you #ReadyToGOES?
The @SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying @NOAA's #GOESU mission has been rolled to the launch pad at @NASAKennedy's Launch Complex 39A.
Live coverage begins at 4:15 pm ET: https://t.co/tZtPGE9svq
Image credit: Lockheed Martin pic.twitter.com/IDXoq7GAE7
The GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites) fleet is a collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA that started operations back in 1975. According to NASA, GOES satellites orbit more than 22 thousand miles above the Earth’s equator and travel at the same speed as the Earth’s rotation.
The GOES-R satellites specifically provide valuable and continuous coverage of the Western Hemisphere. Forecasters across the country, including the KSAT Weather Authority team, use satellite images on a daily basis to monitor the ever-changing weather and even track tropical systems. The first satellite in the series, GOES-16, was launched back in 2016, followed by the launch of two more GOES satellites (GOES-17 and GOES-18) in 2018 and 2022 respectively.
On top of providing vital information that allows forecasters to track weather systems and meteorological phenomena, this GOES-U satellite is also equipped with a coronagraph. This instrument will allow scientists to view the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere to detect coronal mass ejections (which were a contributing factor in the geomagnetic storm that allowed some San Antonians to witness the aurora borealis back in May!).
Meteorologist Mia Montgomery interviewed Bill Line, a research meteorologist with NOAA, on GMSA at 9 Tuesday morning about the launch. Watch the interview:
- Read more from the meteorologists on the Whatever the Weather page
- Download KSAT’s weather app for customized, accurate forecasts in San Antonio, South Texas or wherever you are
- Find the latest forecasts, radar and alerts on the KSAT Weather Authority page