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NOAA’s GOES-U Satellite Ready to Launch on SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket
The final NOAA satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R series of weather satellites, GOES-U, is set to head to space. The two-hour launch window opens at 5:16 p.m. EDT (2116 GMT) on June 25, and the mission will aim for the stars on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s Space Coast.
Launch Viewing Locations
If you’re going to be in or around Cape Canaveral, there are many spots from which you can watch the rocket soar into the sky. Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism has compiled a map and list of launch viewing venues including beaches, parks, and restaurants surrounding Kennedy Space Center where you can camp out. If you prefer to stay home, you can watch the launch live here at Space.com thanks to NASA. Coverage begins at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT).
“Every launch is worth watching, it’s something fun and exciting,” said Rex Engelhardt, GOES-U Mission Manager for NASA’s Launch Services Program. “It is kind of a show and it’s over quickly. With the booster return you get, it’s nice — you get to stretch it out a little bit.”
GOES-U Mission Details
The first launch of the series, GOES-R, was in 2016, followed by GOES-S and GOES-T in 2018 and 2022, respectively. Compared to its predecessors, GOES-U will be quite the shining star in the constellation. The satellite will feature state-of-the-art advanced imagery instruments, take atmospheric measurements of Earth’s weather, oceans, and environment, as well as provide real-time mapping of total lightning activity. Moreover, GOES-U will have improvements to each component based on feedback from the earlier trio.
“Our five-decade partnership with NOAA has resulted in the successful operation of more than 60 satellites dedicated to weather forecasting, severe storm and hurricane prediction, and climate observations. We’re very excited to complete the four-satellite GOES-R series with the most capable geostationary weather satellites in our nation’s history,” said John Gagosian, director of NASA’s Joint Agency Satellite Division.
The successor to NOAA’s GOES-R series will be the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite system, scheduled to launch in the early 2030s.
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