NASA has made a significant advancement in weather monitoring with the successful launch of the fourth and final satellite in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Advanced Weather Satellite series. The satellite, named Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U (GOES-U), was launched Tuesday from Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
A crucial technological advance for weather and environmental monitoring
Once operational in geostationary orbit at environ 36 000 km above Earth, GOES-U will play a crucial role in providing continuous coverage of weather and environmental conditions across much of the Western Hemisphere. Affected areas involve North America, including Mexico, as well as Central America, South America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of Africa.
The data collected by these satellites is essential for preparing for severe storms, detecting fires and much more, thereby strengthening resilience to climate change and protecting humanity from weather hazards.
In addition to its terrestrial weather monitoring capabilities, GOES-U is equipped to predict space weather which can affect satellite electronic systems, GPS and radio communications. The satellite also incorporates a new instrument, the Compact Coronagraph-1, designed to block the Sun’s bright light and allow scientists to observe the weaker solar atmosphere.
The GOES-R Series program, which includes GOES-U, is overseen by NOAA through an integrated NOAA-NASA office. Lockheed Martin designed, built and tested the satellites in this series, while L3Harris Technologies provides the primary payloads.
And ten for the Falcon Heavy
On the launch side, NASA and NOAA have once again placed their trust in SpaceX and its rocket Falcon Heavy. This launcher, made up of three modified Falcon 9 first stage boosters, thus forming a triple core configuration, offers an initial thrust of more than 2,200 tonnes, equivalent to approximately eighteen Boeing 747s taking off. This robust design allows the Falcon Heavy to carry massive payloads into geostationary orbit, making the launch of satellites like GOES-U possible.
It was about tenth flight of the rocket since its introduction in 2018. The two side boosters then returned to land successfully at Cape Canaveral, as evidenced by these still impressive images:
In short, the launch of GOES-U marks a new era in weather and environmental monitoring by strengthening the ability of forecasters to anticipate and respond to extreme weather events, while providing crucial data for climate research and population protection. Western.
