Only 10 minutes into Tuesday’s 2-hour launch window, a SpaceX Falcon heavy lifted off carrying the last of a series of new weather satellites to orbit. The GOES-U weather satellite launch was the last of a series designated GOES-R.
On a day that started out with a stormy forecast, the Space Force’s 45th weather squadron gave only a 30% probability of launch due to weather concerns. Thundershowers had been forecast to develop just inland of Cape Canaveral and track toward the Kennedy Space Center, arriving near the beginning of the 5:16 PM launch window. Tensions rose a bit when the countdown was halted briefly under a beautiful blue sky in order to reevaluate developing thunderstorms nearby. The count was resumed after just 10 minutes, resulting in a spectacular 5:26 PM liftoff. Less than an hour after liftoff, rain and thunderstorms moved into the area.
As of this morning, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has received positive telemetry from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U (GOES-U), indicating the spacecraft is functioning nominally and is power positive. This successful signal acquisition marks a significant milestone in the deployment of GOES-U.
The GOES-U satellite, now safely deployed, will take approximately two weeks to reach its designated geostationary orbit. Upon arrival in its final orbit, the satellite will be renamed GOES-19, continuing the legacy of the GOES series in providing crucial environmental data.
The NOAA GOES-R Series Program, managed through a collaborative office integrating both NOAA and NASA, oversees this ambitious satellite project. This joint office is responsible for managing the ground systems, operating the satellites, and distributing the valuable data collected to users around the globe.
Onboard the GOES-U are seven advanced instruments designed for a variety of critical functions. These instruments will collect high-resolution imagery and atmospheric measurements, provide real-time mapping of lightning activity, and detect approaching space weather hazards. A notable addition to GOES-U is the compact coronagraph, a new tool that will observe the Sun’s outermost layer, known as the corona. This instrument is crucial for identifying large plasma explosions that have the potential to produce geomagnetic solar storms, which can significantly impact Earth’s technological systems.
Before the GOES-U satellite begins its full operational role, NASA teams will conduct an in-orbit checkout of its instruments and systems. This comprehensive testing phase is essential to ensure all systems function correctly and meet the mission’s stringent requirements. Once this phase is completed, the satellite will be handed over to NOAA’s Office of Satellite and Product Operations. This office will undertake the final verification of the satellite’s science data, ensuring its readiness to support NOAA’s environmental monitoring and forecasting mission.
The GOES-U, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U, which will be renamed GOES-19 once operational, is designed to provide critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar, and space data. This satellite will enhance NOAA’s ability to monitor weather systems, environmental hazards, and space weather phenomena across a vast region, including North America, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and parts of the Atlantic Ocean. GOES-19 will work alongside GOES-18 (GOES West) to cover more than half the globe, ensuring comprehensive and continuous data collection.
The deployment of GOES-U marks a major advancement in NOAA’s efforts to enhance environmental monitoring and forecasting capabilities. The data provided by GOES-19 will play a crucial role in improving weather prediction accuracy, understanding climate phenomena, and safeguarding lives and property from natural disasters.
