Atlas V 541 - GOES-T - Canaveral SLC-41 - 1 March 2022 (21:38 UTC)

[gongora]

Dec. 18, 2019
CONTRACT RELEASE C19-029

NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Environmental Satellite Mission
NASA has selected United Launch Services LLC (ULS) of Centennial, Colorado, to provide launch services for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) mission, which will provide advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s weather, oceans and environment, real-time mapping of total lightning activity, and improved monitoring of solar activity and space weather.

The total cost for NASA to launch GOES-T is approximately $165.7 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs.

The GOES-T mission currently is targeted to launch in December 2021 on an Atlas V 541 rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. GOES-T is the third spacecraft in the next generation GOES-R Series of geostationary weather satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The GOES-R Series includes GOES-R, S, T, and U.

NASA’s Launch Services Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida will manage the ULS launch service. The GOES-R Flight Projects Office is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The GOES-R Program is managed by NOAA.

For more information about NASA programs and missions, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

[Rismagi]

The total cost of the GOES-R and GOES-S launch services was approximately $446 million.
https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/apr/HQ_C12-016_GOES-R_GOES-S_Launch.html

GOES-R (2016) https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=37743.0
GOES-S (2018) https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41872.0

[gongora]

The corresponding amount added to ULA's NLS-II contract was $139.9M

[Targeteer]

https://www.wired.com/story/goes-extreme-weather-satellites-ready-for-launch

[jacqmans]

GOES-T in the Clean Room

Technicians at Lockheed Martin’s Waterton Canyon campus work on GOES-T, currently in production as part of NOAA’s GOES-R series of next-generation weather satellites featuring crystal-clear HD imagery from the Advanced Baseline Imager and life-saving data from the GOES Lightning Mapper instrument.

Photo: Lockheed Martin

[jacqmans]

GOES-T lift to Thermal Vacuum Chamber.

GOES-T is lifted into the Thermal Vacuum Chamber in Littleton, Colorado. This environmental test ensures the satellite can operate in the harsh environment of space.

Photo: Lockheed Martin

[Targeteer]

https://www.goes-r.gov/featureStories/goesT_UndergoesTestingToSimulateLaunch.html


September 29, 2020

GOES-T, the third satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R Series, is fully assembled and beginning a set of rigorous tests to ensure it can withstand the harsh conditions of launch and the space environment in which it will reside once it reaches geostationary orbit 22,236 miles above Earth. The testing is taking place at Lockheed Martin Corporation’s Littleton, Colorado, facility, where the spacecraft was built.

GOES-T is currently undergoing thermal vacuum testing in a large 29' x 65' chamber. During thermal vacuum testing, the spacecraft will experience a vast range of temperatures, with some parts reaching as high as 188 degrees Fahrenheit (87 degrees Celsius) and others dropping as low as minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 55 degrees Celsius). This testing simulates the extreme temperatures of launch and the space environment.

After GOES-T is removed from the thermal vacuum chamber, several other tests will follow. The satellite will undergo vibration testing to simulate the stresses experienced during launch to ensure there are no structural weaknesses. Shock testing will make sure the spacecraft can withstand the shocks encountered during separation from the launch vehicle and deployment of the solar panels. Acoustics testing will use high-intensity horns to subject the satellite to extremely high sound pressure that simulates the noises created when the rocket is launched. Finally, GOES-T will undergo electromagnetic testing to ensure that the electromagnetic signals produced by satellite components do not interfere with its operation.

At specific points during the testing, the Mission Operations Team (MOST) will conduct a set of end-to-end tests that command the spacecraft from the ground system. The end-to-end tests validate the compatibility of flight and ground hardware, software, and communications interfaces in a mission operations context. The full set of environmental, mechanical, end-to-end, and electromagnetic tests will take approximately ten months to complete.

GOES-T faced some unique challenges to get to this point. In 2018, during post-launch testing of the GOES-17 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), scientists discovered an issue with the instrument’s cooling system. The loop heat pipe (LHP) subsystem, which transfers heat from the ABI electronics to the radiator, is not operating as designed. As a result, the ABI detectors can’t be maintained at their intended temperatures under specific orbital conditions, leading to a partial loss of infrared imagery at certain times.

An investigation found the most likely cause of the thermal performance issue to be foreign object debris blocking the flow of the coolant in the loop heat pipes. As a result, an independent review team recommended changes to the design of the ABI radiator and loop heat pipes for GOES-T and GOES-U to decrease the chance of future cooling system anomalies. The new design utilizes a simpler hardware configuration that eliminates the filters that are susceptible to debris.


In addition to changes in the ABI cooling system design, the GOES-T and GOES-U satellites will carry an upgraded magnetometer instrument from the one aboard GOES-16 and GOES-17. The magnetometer, built by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and known as GMAG, is expected to provide improved performance to meet mission requirements. The magnetometer measures magnetic field variations that are associated with space weather.


The team also had to contend with a pandemic while integrating the GOES-T instruments and spacecraft. “Our work environment changed dramatically in March with the arrival of COVID-19,” said Pam Sullivan, GOES-R System Program Director. “With most personnel working remotely and on-site work limited to critical operations, we had to adapt how we accomplished the mission. My main concern is the safety and wellbeing of our people.” New safety and social-distancing procedures have been put in place for personnel who remained on-site at facilities across the country, and new remote access and monitoring systems were implemented. “Our team continues to rise to the challenge and keep critical work going during this very uncertain time. I couldn’t be prouder of everyone for staying positive, being flexible and compassionate, and meeting adversity with determination and ingenuity,” said Sullivan.


GOES-T is scheduled to launch in December 2021 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The satellite will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit, and is currently planned to reside in on-orbit storage until it transitions to operational service. It will also be available to provide backup operations for GOES-16 (GOES-East) and GOES-17 (GOES-West), which serve as NOAA’s current operational constellation. The centrally located on-orbit storage will allow GOES-18 to quickly move into position if either GOES-16 or GOES-17 experience an anomaly and to eventually transition to operations as GOES-West.

The GOES-R Program is a four-satellite mission that includes GOES-R (GOES-16, launched in 2016), GOES-S (GOES-17, launched in 2018), GOES-T and GOES-U. GOES-U is currently scheduled for launch in 2024. The program is a collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA. NASA builds and launches the satellites for NOAA, which operates them. The satellites provide critical data for weather forecasts and warnings, detection and monitoring of environmental hazards like fire, smoke, fog, volcanic ash, and dust, and monitoring of solar activity and space weather.

[Phillipsturtles]

Technicians at Lockheed Martin's site in Littleton, Colorado, ready the GOES-T weather satellite for its acoustics testing. Acoustics tests simulate the amount of noise a spacecraft will experience upon liftoff, which is about equivalent to standing next to a jackhammer.

Photo: Lockheed Martin

[jacqmans]

Photo: Lockheed Martin

[Fmedici]

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1399746184554684423

[zubenelgenubi]

Is there a source for the December 7 launch date?

Scheduled:
Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)

2021
December 7 - GOES-T - Atlas V 541 - Canaveral SLC-41 (or January 2022)

Changes on May 24th, 2020

Searching on-line I find December 2021, no date in the month.

[zubenelgenubi]

https://staging.nesdis.noaa.gov/press , dated June 24

NOAA announces post-launch plans for GOES-T satellite
NOAA’s GOES-T will replace GOES-17 as the new satellite in the GOES West position, following its scheduled December 7 liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Fla., top NOAA officials announced today.

The decision to place GOES-T into operational service as soon as possible after launch is a result of the blockage in the loop heat pipe of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), the key instrument on GOES-17.

The blockage, which appeared not long after the satellite launched on March 1, 2018, restricted the flow of coolant in the pipes, causing the ABI electronics to overheat and reducing the sensitivity of its infrared sensors. Engineers, however, were able to mitigate the issue and enabled the ABI to deliver more than 98 percent of the data it was designed to provide.

GOES-T, which is the third satellite in NOAA’s advanced GOES-R series, will be renamed GOES-18 following a successful two-week post-launch checkout phase. Once operational and in service, it will work in tandem with GOES-16, which operates in the GOES East position.

[Rondaz]

NOAA’s GOES-T Launch Now Targeting Jan. 8, 2022

Linda Herridge Posted on July 30, 2021

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are now targeting Jan. 8, 2022, for the launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T) mission. The launch was previously planned for Dec. 7, 2021.  NASA, NOAA, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) coordinated the new target date to optimize launch schedules for missions flying from Space Launch Complex-41.

The GOES-T satellite is part of the GOES-R series that will maintain the two-satellite system extending the operational lifetime through December 2036.The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods and other severe weather.

GOES-T will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket. The two-hour launch window will open at 4:33 p.m. EST. This launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program.

NOAA manages the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, administering the ground system contract, operating the satellites, and distributing their data to users worldwide. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R spacecraft and instruments. Lockheed Martin designs, creates, and tests the GOES-R series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, along with the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

Looking forward, NOAA is working with NASA on the next-generation geostationary satellite mission called GeoXO, which will bring new capabilities in support of U.S. weather, ocean, and climate operations in the 2030s. NASA will manage the development of the satellites GeoXO satellites and launch them for NOAA.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2021/07/30/noaas-goes-t-launch-now-targeting-jan-8-2022/

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

GOES-T has a different date

[than January 8]

[zubenelgenubi]

NASA Landsat 9 launch coverage, interview with Omar Baez: GOES-T launch February 16, 2022.
First NASA LSP (Launch Services Program) mission of 2022.

[Rondaz]

NOAA’s GOES-T Launch Update

Jason Costa Posted on September 30, 2021

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are now targeting Feb. 16, 2022, for the launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T) mission. The launch was previously planned for Jan. 8, 2022. NASA, NOAA, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) coordinated the new target date to optimize launch schedules for missions flying from Space Launch Complex-41.

GOES-T will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket. The two-hour launch window will open at 4:40 p.m. EST. This launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center.

GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R Series, which will extend NOAA’s operational geostationary satellite observations through 2036. The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods and other severe weather.

NOAA manages the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, administering the ground system contract, operating the satellites, and distributing their data to users worldwide. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R spacecraft and instruments. Lockheed Martin designs, creates, and tests the GOES-R Series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, along with the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

Looking forward, NOAA is working with NASA on the next-generation geostationary satellite mission called Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), which will bring new capabilities in support of U.S. weather, ocean, and climate operations in the 2030s.  NASA will manage the development of the GeoXO satellites and launch them for NOAA.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2021/09/30/noaas-goes-t-launch-update/

[Josh_from_Canada]

Is this launch using AJ-60A or GEM-63 boosters?

[ZachS09]

Is this launch using AJ-60A or GEM-63 boosters?

I believe the AJ-60A boosters will only be used for Starliner missions from here on out after SBIRS-GEO 5.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/05/15/billion-dollar-missile-defense-satellite-ready-for-launch-monday-at-cape-canaveral/

[Targeteer]

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaas-goes-t-satellite-arrives-florida-ahead-of-2022-launch

NOAA’s GOES-T Satellite Arrives in Florida Ahead of 2022 Launch

NOAA’s GOES-T, the third in the GOES-R Series of advanced weather observing and environmental monitoring satellites, arrived in Florida today to begin final preparations for an early 2022 launch.

Shipping a satellite is no small feat. GOES-T is the size of a small school bus and weighs over 6,000 pounds! The spacecraft team at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado, where GOES-T was built, carefully packed the satellite in a special shipping container that protected its sensitive instruments and functioned as a miniature clean room during transport. GOES-T was then driven to Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, where it hitched a ride aboard a C-5 Super Galaxy aircraft to Kennedy Space Center.
GOES-T being unloaded from C-5M Super Galaxy cargo plane at the Kennedy Space Center


GOES-T was then transported to a clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations spacecraft processing facility in nearby Titusville, where it was unpacked. The satellite will now undergo final preparations for an early 2022 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. GOES-T will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex-41.

Upon reaching geostationary orbit after launch, GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18. After it completes checkout of its instruments and systems, the new satellite will go into operation as GOES West, replacing the current GOES-17. In the GOES West position, GOES-18 will watch over the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean extending to Guam. The satellite will be ideally located to detect and monitor weather systems and environmental hazards that most affect this region of the Western Hemisphere, including wildfires, atmospheric rivers, coastal fog, dust storms, and volcanic eruptions. GOES-18 will also monitor the sun for solar eruptions and detect space weather hazards that can disrupt communications, navigation systems, and power utilities on Earth.

NOAA oversees the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, operating the satellites, managing the ground system, and distributing the satellite data to users worldwide. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R spacecraft and instruments and NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, launches the satellites. Lockheed Martin designs, builds, and tests the GOES-R Series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, along with the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

[Josh_from_Canada]

https://blog.ulalaunch.com/blog/goes-t-meet-rocketship-ulas-vessel-that-makes-deliveries

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket that will launch the GOES-T weather observatory for NASA's Launch Services Program in 2022 has arrived at Cape Canaveral from the factory aboard the R/S RocketShip.

The Atlas V booster stage and Centaur upper stage left the ULA manufacturing facility in Decatur, Ala., on Nov. 7 inside the custom-built rocket transportation vessel. The ship reached Port Canaveral yesterday.

This morning, technicians boarded the vessel and went to work releasing the restraints that kept the flight hardware secure inside RocketShip's cargo hold during the trip. Centaur emerged from the ship first, followed by the Atlas booster stage. Both stages were taken to the high bay at ULA's Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) facility.

The Atlas V 541 rocket, designated as AV-095, will launch the third in the latest series of advanced weather satellites for NASA and NOAA. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-T will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles above Earth. The new satellite will serve as GOES West and work in tandem with GOES-16, which operates in the GOES East position.

[zubenelgenubi]

https://blog.ulalaunch.com/blog/goes-t-meet-rocketship-ulas-vessel-that-makes-deliveries

One of the 2 blog images shows the Atlas being removed from the ship, with the other half of the hold empty. I assume that the Centaur stage was previously removed?

[Josh_from_Canada]

of the 2 blog images shows the Atlas being removed from the ship, with the other half of the hold empty. I assume that the Centaur stage was previously removed?

Yes the Centaur was taken off the ship first. Also the tail number of this rocket is AV-095.

[TimL]

From ULA's Photo section on flckr

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaas-goes-t-has-new-launch-date

Launch now scheduled on March 1st, 2022, 21:38 - 23:38 UTC.

[Rondaz]

NASA, NOAA Adjust GOES-T Launch Date

Danielle Sempsrott Posted on November 18, 2021

NASA and NOAA are now targeting launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T) mission March 1, 2022. NASA, NOAA, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) coordinated the new launch opportunity due to shifts with other missions scheduled ahead of GOES-T. The launch previously was scheduled for Feb. 16, 2022.

GOES-T, the third satellite in NOAA’s advanced GOES-R series, will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit. After it completes checkout of its instruments and systems, the new satellite will go into operation as GOES West and work in tandem with GOES-16, which operates in the GOES East position.

GOES-T, which arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Nov. 10, will launch on a ULA Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The two-hour launch window will open at 4:38 p.m. EST. NASA’s Launch Services Program is managing the launch.

NOAA manages the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, administering the ground system contract, operating the satellites, and distributing their data to users worldwide. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R spacecraft and instruments. Lockheed Martin designs, creates, and tests the GOES-R series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, along with the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

Looking forward, NOAA is working with NASA on the next-generation geostationary satellite mission called GeoXO, which will bring new capabilities in support of U.S. weather, ocean, and climate operations in the 2030s. NASA will manage the development of the GeoXO satellites and launch them for NOAA.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2021/11/18/nasa-noaa-adjust-goes-t-launch-date/

[catdlr]

Earth from Orbit: GOES-T Arrives at Kennedy Space Center

[Rondaz]

NOAA’s GOES-T Arrives in Florida for Processing Ahead of Launch

Danielle Sempsrott Posted on November 23, 2021

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T) – the third satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R series – is now in Florida, undergoing final preparations ahead of its targeted launch on March 1, 2022. The satellite arrived at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 10, 2021, in a United States Air Force C-5 cargo plane. Shortly after landing at the runway, teams transported it to an Astrotech Space Operations facility in nearby Titusville, where it will remain for processing and final checkouts prior to liftoff.

Upon its arrival at Astrotech, teams removed the spacecraft from its shipping container and attached it to the electrical ground support equipment that they will use to perform multiple tests over the next few weeks to ensure all satellite elements function properly.

GOES-T will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). After departing from ULA’s manufacturing plant in Decatur, Alabama, on Nov. 6, the rocket’s first and second stages arrived at CCSFS aboard a transport boat on Nov. 15. When spacecraft testing is complete and teams have conducted the Launch Vehicle Readiness Review, the satellite – once encapsulated in its protective payload fairing – will be placed atop the Atlas V rocket in preparation for liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41.

The GOES-R program is a collaboration between NASA and the NOAA. NASA manufactures and launches the satellites and NOAA funds and operates them and distributes their data to users worldwide. The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods, and other severe weather. GOES-T will provide critical data for the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean.

This launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy in Florida, America’s multi-user spaceport. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R spacecraft and instruments. Lockheed Martin designs, creates, and tests the GOES-R Series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, along with the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

Looking forward, NOAA is working with NASA on the next-generation geostationary satellite mission called Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), which will bring new capabilities in support of U.S. weather, ocean, and climate operations in the 2030s. NASA will manage the development of the GeoXO satellites and launch them for NOAA.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2021/11/23/noaas-goes-t-arrives-in-florida-for-processing-ahead-of-launch/

[Rondaz]

Rocketship delivering her precious cargo. #AtlasV #GOEST #ULARocketShip

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1466420866921734159

[Targeteer]

December 27, 2021
MEDIA ADVISORY M21-170
NASA Invites Media to NOAA’s Weather Observing Satellite Launch

Media accreditation is now open for the upcoming launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-T satellite, the Western Hemisphere’s most advanced weather observing and environmental monitoring system.

GOES-T is scheduled to launch March 1, 2022, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Media prelaunch and launch activities will take place at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Media wishing to take part in person must apply for credentials at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

International media residing in the United States must apply by Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. U.S. media must apply by Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.

NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. For questions about accreditation, please email: [email protected]. For other mission questions, please contact Kennedy’s newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email with the latest COVID-19 guidelines. If you have special logistical requests, such as space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections, please contact Allison Tankersley at [email protected] by Feb. 21, 2022.

About GOES-T

NOAA manages the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, administering its ground system contract, operating the satellites, and distributing their data to users worldwide.

GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit. Following a successful orbital checkout of its instruments and systems, GOES-18 will go into operational service as GOES West. In this position, the satellite will provide critical data for the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean.

The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy, America’s multi-user spaceport. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R satellite and instruments. Lockheed Martin designs, creates, and tests the GOES-R Series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, and the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

For more information about GOES-T, visit:

https://go.nasa.gov/3esXZcw

[Josh_from_Canada]

This launch is using GEM-63s
https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1483535763232935936

[ZachS09]

This launch is using GEM-63s
https://twitter.com/northropgrumman/status/1483535763232935936

All future Atlas Vs, with the exception of the Starliner missions, will use GEM-63 SRMs. The last non-Starliner mission with the old AJ-60A SRMs was SBIRS-GEO 5.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/05/15/billion-dollar-missile-defense-satellite-ready-for-launch-monday-at-cape-canaveral/

[Conexion Espacial]

Some GOES-T satellite images published by NASA, more images at: https://images.nasa.gov/album/ULA_GOES_T

[Conexion Espacial]

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1488182167498801156

[Conexion Espacial]

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1488204696934395912

[Conexion Espacial]

GOES-T is about to be encapsulated.

[Conexion Espacial]

The Centaur stage is already being installed in the first stage.https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1490723173557583873

[Rondaz]

NOAA’s GOES-T Satellite Gets Payload Protection

James Cawley Posted on February 15, 2022

Now safely encapsulated, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite has completed another key milestone in preparation for its March 1, 2022, launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida

Inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility in nearby Titusville, the two halves of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairings were brought together and installed around GOES-T. The payload fairings will secure and protect the satellite during launch.

“Things are getting real now; GOES-T is fully assembled and ready for launch,” said GOES-T Mission Manager Rex Engelhardt. “Next week, we will be holding the final launch reviews and exercising the teams on their launch consoles in preparation for launch day.”

Last month, technicians began integrated operations, which included lifting and mating the spacecraft to the payload adapter – a piece of hardware that interfaces mechanically between the rocket and the spacecraft. On Feb. 17, GOES-T will be transported and mated to the launch vehicle. The fully assembled launch vehicle is targeted to roll to the launch pad on Feb. 28.

The third satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R series, GOES-T will lift off atop the Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.

The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods, and other severe weather. GOES-T will provide critical data for the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/02/15/noaas-goes-t-satellite-gets-payload-protection/

[Rondaz]

The #GOEST satellite is now encapsulated in the payload fairings that will protect it during launch aboard a @ULALaunch #AtlasV. Keep up with key milestones as we get #ReadyToGOES:

https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1493664574964436993

[Rondaz]

Packed up and ready to go!

@NOAA's #GOEST satellite is now safely encapsulated inside of the @ULALaunch Atlas V payload fairings. These fairings will protect and secure the satellite during launch.

https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/1493662191068848139

[Rondaz]

#GOEST will orbit the Earth’s equatorial plane at a speed that matches the Earth’s rotation. This orbit provides a constant birds' eye view of the same area and allows the satellite to capture high-res imagery and data of an area around the clock!

https://twitter.com/NOAASatellites/status/1493664613979680769

[zubenelgenubi]

No Wet Dress Rehearsal?

[Jim]

No Wet Dress Rehearsal?

not a planetary mission

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1494482927329103873

GOES-T on it's way to SLC-41 last night #ULA #AtlasV #GOEST

[sts9]

GOES-T: Weather observatory for Western U.S. hoisted atop Atlas V

https://blog.ulalaunch.com/blog/goes-t-weather-observatory-for-western-u.s.-hoisted-atop-atlas-v

[sts9]

Does anyone know the tail number for this mission - AV0xx?
Thanks

[Jim]

Does anyone know the tail number for this mission - AV0xx?
Thanks

95

[dsmillman]

From the NASA TV schedule:

February 25, Friday
1 p.m. –  GOES-T science briefing

February 26, Saturday
1 p.m. –  GOES-T prelaunch news conference

February 28, Monday
1 p.m. –  NASA EDGE: GOES-T Rollout Show

March 1, Tuesday
4 p.m. – Launch coverage begins for NASA's launch of NOAA's GOES-T mission (Launch scheduled at 4:38 p.m. EST)

[Targeteer]

February 18, 2022
MEDIA ADVISORY M22-025
NASA TV to Air NOAA’s GOES-T Launch, Prelaunch Activities

NASA will provide coverage of the prelaunch and launch activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) next weather observing and environmental monitoring system satellite. Currently known as GOES-T, this is the third satellite in NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R series.

GOES-T is scheduled to launch at 4:38 p.m. EST Tuesday, March 1, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. There is a two-hour launch window.

Live launch coverage will begin at 4 p.m. on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. NASA will hold a science briefing at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, followed by a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26.

GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit. Following a successful orbital checkout of its instruments and systems, GOES-18 will go into operational service as GOES West. In this position, the satellite will provide critical data for the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean.

All media participation in news conferences will be remote except where noted otherwise.

Full mission coverage is as follows:

Friday, Feb. 25

1 p.m. – GOES-T Science Briefing with the following participants:

    Dr. Dan Lindsey, GOES-R program scientist, NOAA
    Dr. James "Jim" Yoe, chief administrator, Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation
    Candace Carlisle, GOES-R flight project manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
    Tewa Kpulun, Geostationary Lightning      Mapper science lead, Lockheed Martin
    Daniel Gall, Advanced Baseline Imager chief systems engineer, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris Technologies

For the science briefing dial-in number and passcode, please contact the newsroom at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at: [email protected] no later than 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. Members of the media, as well as the public, also may ask questions, which may be answered in real-time during the segment, by using #AskNASA on social media.

Saturday, Feb. 26

1 p.m. – GOES-T Prelaunch News Conference, with the following participants:

    Steve Volz, acting assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and assistant administrator for satellite and information services, NOAA
    Pam Sullivan, director, GOES-R Program, NOAA
    John Gagosian, director, Joint Agency Satellite Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA
    Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA Kennedy
    Scott Messer, program manager, NASA Launch Services, United Launch Alliance
    Jessica Williams, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Space Launch Delta 45

For the prelaunch news conference dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom at: [email protected] no later than noon Friday, Feb. 25. Members of the media, as well as the public, also may ask questions, which may be answered in real-time during the segment, by using #AskNASA on social media.

Monday, Feb. 28

10 a.m. – NASA EDGE will host the GOES-T rollout show. The rollout show will air live on NASA TV and YouTube.

Tuesday, Mar. 1

4 p.m. - NASA TV live launch coverage begins.

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio," countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135. A “clean feed” of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel.

For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at: 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on the GOES-T launch blog at:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/tag/goes-t/

Public Participation

Members of the public can register to attend the GOES-T launch virtually. The virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the virtual guest passport following a successful launch.

GOES-T Virtual Social

As launch preparations are finalized, the public is invited to join a virtual GOES-T Social on Facebook. Stay up to date on the latest mission activities, interact with NOAA, NASA and GOES-T team members in real-time, and watch the launch of the ULA Atlas V rocket that will boost GOES-T toward its destination.

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo 321-501-8425.

NOAA oversees the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, managing the ground system, operating the satellites, and distributing their data to users worldwide. The launch is managed by NASA’s LSP, based at Kennedy. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R satellite and instruments. Lockheed Martin designs, creates, and tests the GOES-R Series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, and the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

Watch, Engage Online

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you're following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #GOEST. Also follow online at:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASASocial, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NOAASatellites

Facebook: NASA, NASA LSP, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites

Instagram: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites

For more information about the launch of GOES-T, visit:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/tag/goes-t/

[Targeteer]

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/next-generation/goes-t-launch

[Conexion Espacial]

NASA Livestream

[Rondaz]

GOES-T Transport & Mate to United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

[Ken the Bin]

NGA notice:

240845Z FEB 22
NAVAREA IV 195/22(11,25,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   012138Z TO 020006Z MAR, ALTERNATE
   022138Z TO 030006Z MAR AND
   2137Z TO 0005Z DAILY 03 THRU 07 MAR
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-37-03N 080-36-07W, 28-39-00N 080-27-00W,
      28-40-00N 079-55-00W, 28-40-00N 079-42-00W,
      28-33-00N 079-23-00W, 28-27-00N 079-27-00W,
      28-24-00N 079-42-00W, 28-25-00N 079-55-00W,
      28-29-00N 080-19-00W, 28-32-13N 080-33-45W.
   B. 28-19-00N 078-25-00W, 28-34-00N 078-24-00W,
      28-26-00N 076-58-00W, 28-12-00N 077-00-00W.
   C. 27-08-00N 069-57-00W, 27-51-00N 069-48-00W,
      27-22-00N 066-37-00W, 26-38-00N 066-46-00W.
   D. 23-05-00N 051-38-00W, 23-37-00N 051-26-00W,
      22-13-00N 046-54-00W, 21-49-00N 047-04-00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 080105Z MAR 22.

[Ken the Bin]

L-4 weather forecast.  60% 'Go' for March 1.  70% 'Go' for March 2.

[Rondaz]

ULA Atlas V Rocket Topped Off With NOAA’s GOES-T Satellite

James Cawley Posted on February 25, 2022

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite now officially has its ride.

GOES-T was transported from Astrotech’s Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, to United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) nearby Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. It was then mated to the top of the Atlas V 541 rocket, which will carry it into space. Liftoff is targeted for March 1, 2022, at 4:38 p.m.

The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.

After securing GOES-T atop the Atlas V, technicians conducted final validation of the communication paths through the rocket. The spacecraft and launch vehicle were then tested by successfully powering up both into launch mode to ensure they are compatible as a system.

GOES-T had been located inside the Astrotech facility since its arrival to Florida on Nov. 10, 2021. Numerous activities were conducted there, including lifting and mating the spacecraft to the payload adapter, and encapsulation, where the two halves of the ULA payload fairings were brought together and installed around the satellite to protect it during launch. The fully assembled launch vehicle will roll to the launch pad on Feb. 28.

The third satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R series, GOES-T will be delivered into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, separated from the launch vehicle, and then moved up to a higher geostationary orbit and renamed GOES-18. After being checked out, calibrated, and deemed ready for operations, GOES-18 will replace GOES-17 in the GOES-West position, keeping an eye on the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific Ocean.

The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods, and other severe weather. Click here to follow the GOES-T blog. To learn more about the GOES Satellite Network or to meet members of the GOES-T team, click here.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/02/25/ula-atlas-v-rocket-topped-off-with-noaas-goes-t-satellite/

[sts9]

Atlas V GOES-T: Enabling Climate and Weather Research

Feb 24 23:26
ULA and GOES

Since 1975, ULA and our heritage rockets have launched every GOES mission providing weather forecasters with advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements. We take pride in lifting the next sophisticated capability, NOAA's GOES-T satellite for NASA's Launch Services Program.

[Ken the Bin]

L-3 weather forecast.  60% 'Go' for March 1.  70% 'Go' for March 2.

[edkyle99]

Russia has pulled out of Kourou.  Can it also pull out of its RD-180 support, essentially turning these engines off?

 - Ed Kyle

[ZachS09]

Russia has pulled out of Kourou.  Can it also pull out of its RD-180 support, essentially turning these engines off?

 - Ed Kyle

That sounds absurd to me. You can't just go cold turkey on every single Russian-related space product.

[Jim]

Russia has pulled out of Kourou.  Can it also pull out of its RD-180 support, essentially turning these engines off?

No, ULA can go solo

[Rondaz]

Launch Spotlight: ULA to launch a new NOAA weather satellite..

https://twitter.com/space_explored/status/1497604754255585280

[Rondaz]

Tory Talk // Atlas V GOES-T

[Rondaz]

LIVE | NASA GOES-T prelaunch news conference

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1497648769726357509

Wondering when and where you may see the #AtlasV #GOEST launch? The visibility map shows your best chances to see the rocket along the eastern seaboard of the U.S.! Launch is scheduled for Tues. at 4:38 p.m. EST (2138 UTC) from Cape Canaveral, FL.

[zubenelgenubi]

LIVE | NASA GOES-T prelaunch news conference

Audio-visual technician fail: Launch day outro music continued to play after the video faded back to the presser and continued to play loudly throughout Q&A to within seconds of the sign-off.


Falcon 9 and Atlas V can both launch on March 3, if it becomes necessary.

[Rondaz]

‘Go for Launch’: NOAA’s GOES-T Satellite Cleared for Tuesday Liftoff

James Cawley Posted on February 26, 2022

Following a successful Launch Readiness Review at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite is cleared to proceed with Tuesday’s launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Liftoff is targeted for 4:38 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 1, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 41. There is a two-hour window for the launch, which is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy.

The current favorable weather forecast for launch day is 60%. The primary concerns are cumulus cloud and surface electric fields.

Tune in to NASA TV today, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m. for a live broadcast of the GOES-T Prelaunch News Conference. Participants include:

Steve Volz, acting assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and assistant administrator for satellite and information services, NOAA
Pam Sullivan, director, GOES-R Program, NOAA
John Gagosian, director, Joint Agency Satellite Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA
Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA Kennedy
Scott Messer, program manager, NASA Launch Services, United Launch Alliance
Jessica Williams, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Space Launch Delta 45

At 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, NASA EDGE will host the GOES-T rollout show. The broadcast will air live on NASA TV and YouTube. Coverage of launch day events begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 1. Follow along right here on the blog, or tune in to the live show on NASA TV, the NASA app, or the agency’s website.

GOES-T is the third satellite in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R Series, the Western Hemisphere’s most sophisticated weather observing and environmental monitoring system. The GOES-R Series provides advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements, real-time mapping of lightning activity, and space weather monitoring.

After GOES-T launches, it will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit. Following a successful on-orbit checkout of its instruments and systems, NOAA plans to put GOES-T immediately into operational service, replacing GOES-17 as GOES West.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/goes-t/2022/02/26/go-for-launch-noaas-goes-t-satellite-cleared-for-tuesday-liftoff/

[Rondaz]

Atlas V GOES-T Mission Profile

[Rondaz]

GOES-T satellite to launch atop Atlas V rocket - Mission Overview

[Ken the Bin]

Here's the L-2 weather forecast, posted sometime early this morning.  I'm on PST and I checked again last night when it was after midnight EST, and at that time it was still the L-3 weather forecast that was up from Saturday.

60% 'Go' for March 1.  70% 'Go' for March 2.

[Ken the Bin]

L-1 weather forecast.  70% 'Go' for both March 1 and March 2.

[Rondaz]

Weather 70% Favorable for Tuesday’s GOES-T Launch

James Cawley Posted on February 28, 2022

Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron predict a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions for Tuesday afternoon’s launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite from Florida’s Space Coast, with the cumulus cloud rule serving as the primary weather concern.

A joint effort between NASA and NOAA, GOES-T is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41, at 4:38 p.m. EST tomorrow. GOES-T will help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods and other severe weather.

The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/02/28/weather-70-favorable-for-tuesdays-goes-t-launch/

[Rondaz]

Watch Live: Atlas 5 rolls to the launch pad for weather satellite mission

[Rondaz]

Live view of launch pad 41 as Atlas-5 rocket stands ready to launch weather satellite

[Citabria]

ULA, first launch: "We need a guy to lift up this cable."
ULA, 92nd launch: "We need 5 guys to lift up this cable."

SpaceX, first launch: "We need someone to lift up this cable."
SpaceX, 2nd launch: cable deleted.

[Rondaz]

Atlas V 541 makes its way to SLC-41 ahead of GOES-T launch tomorrow.  Me for @SuperclusterHQ @ulalaunch @torybruno..

https://twitter.com/JennyHPhoto/status/1498319443159658501

[Rondaz]

ULA Atlas V gets ready for GOES-T launch which is set to lift off tomorrow at 4:38 PM ET.  Me for @SuperclusterHQ @ulalaunch @torybruno..

https://twitter.com/JennyHPhoto/status/1498339433627672582

[Rondaz]

Atlas V makes its way out to SLC-41 ahead of tomorrow’s #GOEST launch.

At a blistering 3 mph, and a few stops along the way, it takes about 45 minutes to cover the 1/3 mile between the Vertical Integration Facility and SLC-41.

https://twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1498343462411845639

[Rondaz]

NOAA’s GOES-T Rolls out to the Pad for Tuesday’s Launch

James Cawley Posted on February 28, 2022

By Jim Cawley
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite, a joint effort between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is out at the launch pad and ready for its ride into space.

On Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, GOES-T rolled out from United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vertical Integration Facility Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. Secured atop a ULA V 541 rocket, GOES-T is targeted to lift off Tuesday, March 1, at 4:38 p.m. EST. There is a two-hour launch window.

The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods, and other severe weather. In addition, GOES observations have proven helpful in monitoring dust storms, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires.

The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center.

“For us, this is really the last big operation other than launch,” said GOES-T Mission Manager Rex Engelhardt. “The end of my job is the beginning of the on-orbit checkout and operations that will go on for years and years. Once we separate the spacecraft into its correct orbit, we’re done. And that’s a good feeling; there is accomplishment there.”

GOES-T is the third satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R series – the Western Hemisphere’s most sophisticated weather observing and environmental monitoring system. The GOES-R series will maintain the two-satellite system, extending the operational lifetime through December 2036.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/02/28/noaas-goes-t-rolls-out-to-the-pad-for-tuesdays-launch/

[Rondaz]

Fueling of the #AtlasV first stage is underway at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41. The launch team is pumping 25,000 gallons of storable, room-temperature RP-1 fuel, a highly refined kerosene, into the rocket for Tuesday's flight.

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1498392820629090313

[Rondaz]

#GOEST is set to launch tomorrow afternoon from SLC-41

https://twitter.com/baserunner0723/status/1498418082485841934

[Rondaz]

#GOEST 135 Megapixel Mosaic Picture:

https://twitter.com/baserunner0723/status/1498493828944252929

[Ken the Bin]

L-0 weather forecast.  80% 'Go' for both today and tomorrow.

[Jim]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

[eeergo]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

Why last?

PS: Enjoy it and in bocca al lupo!

[Jim]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

Why last?

PS: Enjoy it and in bocca al lupo!

Retiring in December

[Rondaz]

Weather 80% Favorable for Today’s GOES-T Launch

Danielle Sempsrott Posted on March 1, 2022

Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron predict an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions for this afternoon’s launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite from Florida’s Space Coast, with the cumulus cloud rule and liftoff winds serving as the primary weather concerns.

A joint effort between NASA and NOAA, GOES-T is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 today at 4:38 p.m. EST. GOES-T will help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods and other severe weather.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/goes-t/2022/03/01/weather-80-favorable-for-todays-goes-t-launch/

[TJL]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

Why last?

PS: Enjoy it and in bocca al lupo!

Retiring in December

Congratulations, Jim!

[leetdan]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

Congratulations, and thanks for all your input here over the years.  Will we be able to hear your callout?

[eeergo]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

Why last?

PS: Enjoy it and in bocca al lupo!

Retiring in December

You're holding up pretty well, thought you were way younger from some pics Good to know you're keeping it up and ligthing 'em candles until your last day in the office, thanks for letting us know.

In keeping with the above: auguri!

[LouScheffer]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.
[...]
Retiring in December

Congrats on your retirement, assuming that retirement is what you want.  Some can't wait to retire, while others feel they are being pushed out while they are still productive.

I'm sure I speak for many others when I hope you will still contribute your voice of experience to NSF.

[Rondaz]

In the day's first briefing, Launch Weather Officer Jessica Williams tells mission managers that the forecast for launch of #AtlasV #GOEST has improved to an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1498686611160289282

[Jim]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

Congratulations, and thanks for all your input here over the years.  Will we be able to hear your callout?

no, I have a backup/mentoring role

[Jim]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.
[...]
Retiring in December

Congrats on your retirement, assuming that retirement is what you want.  Some can't wait to retire, while others feel they are being pushed out while they are still productive.

I'm sure I speak for many others when I hope you will still contribute your voice of experience to NSF.

Thanks,

Some want me to stay on and I could.   I like working operations, but the issue is the time between missions and during a mission, I have schedule life around it.  I want to have some fun and do some research and write.  I should have an article published by this summer (I will post when it is out).  Might docent on the AF side or both sides
.

[Josh_from_Canada]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

Congratulations Jim!

[markbike528cbx]

My last NASA mission that I will be supporting on console.

Congratulations on your [future] retirement!  Come join the "I'll do what I want to today" crowd. 
For accomplished people like yourself, there will be a loss of externally acknowledged accomplishment.
Some advice etc could be had at : https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/post-fire/  where a lot of self-starters hang out after retirement.

[markbike528cbx]

Per the Mission Profile video and posted abovethread by Rondaz, the final parameters are 8876km perigiee 35278 km apogee, inclination 9.416. 
How does the spent 2nd stage get to a)deorbit b)safe disposal orbit.  or c) is that the disposal orbit?

Are there method (online calculators or spreadsheet) for determining the delta V for the above options?

[Rondaz]

Live Coverage Begins for NOAA’s GOES-T Launch

James Cawley Posted on March 1, 2022

Good afternoon, and welcome to live coverage of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite mission from Florida’s Space Coast!

Standing tall atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, GOES-T – a joint effort between NASA and NOAA – is set to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 41 in just about 90 minutes (4:38 p.m. EST). The Launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Stay right here for a live blog that will take you straight through the launch day events. Or, tune in to NASA TV, the NASA app, or the agency’s website, starting at 4 p.m. EST, for a live broadcast.

It has been all good news on the weather front thus far, but we will keep you posted on any updates from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron prior to launch of the GOES-T mission to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods and other severe weather.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/03/01/live-coverage-begins-for-noaas-goes-t-launch/

[Rondaz]

A Closer Look at the GOES-T Mission

James Cawley Posted on March 1, 2022

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite is the third satellite in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R Series, the Western Hemisphere’s most sophisticated weather observing and environmental monitoring system.

A part of the GOES-R series, GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit, replacing GOES-17 as GOES West. It will be positioned to watch over the western contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean. The satellite will be ideally located to monitor weather systems and hazards that most affect this region of the Western Hemisphere.

Mission objectives include:

Supporting the search-and-rescue satellite aided system (SARSAT)
Contributing to the development of worldwide environmental warning services and enhancements of basic environmental services
Improving the capability for forecasting and providing real-time warning of solar disturbances
Providing data that may be used to extend knowledge and understanding of the atmosphere and its processes

Coming up next on the blog is a list of milestones for today’s launch, targeted for 4:38 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 41.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/03/01/a-closer-look-at-the-goes-t-mission/

[Rondaz]

Weather Outlook Solid, GOES-T on Target for 4:38 p.m. EST Launch

James Cawley Posted on March 1, 2022

The weather outlook for today’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station remains positive. Weather officials with the Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron predict an 80% chance of favorable conditions for liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41.

The launch, which is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, is targeted for 4:38 p.m. EST. There is a two-hour launch window.

“Liftoff winds are going to be our primary concern with a smaller concern coming from some of those passing cumulus clouds,” said Arlena Moses, launch weather officer with the 45th Weather Squadron.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/03/01/weather-outlook-solid-goes-t-on-target-for-438-p-m-est-launch/

[zubenelgenubi]

Weather briefing: 90% go. Clouds dissipated.  Ground winds lower.

NASA is go at window open.

[zubenelgenubi]

Launch poll conducted and completed--go for launch at open of window.  21:38:00.0 UTC

[zubenelgenubi]

Liftoff and passing MaxQ.

[zubenelgenubi]

SRB jettison.

[zubenelgenubi]

Fairing jettison.

[zubenelgenubi]

MECO
Atlas/Centaur separation.
Centaur RL-10 ignition.

By the way, this was the co-host's first launch.

[Rondaz]

Liftoff! NOAA’s GOES-T Soars Into the Space Sky

James Cawley Posted on March 1, 2022

3, 2, 1 … LIFTOFF! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite spacecraft lights up the late afternoon Florida sky as it roars off the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a joint effort with NASA to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events.

Stay right here on the blog, or tune in to NASA TV, the NASA app, or the agency’s website to watch the spacecraft and rocket eclipse more launch milestones. Live coverage continues through GOES-T spacecraft separation at approximately 8:30 this evening. The next milestone is main engine cutoff, or MECO, coming in about 10 minutes.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/03/01/liftoff-noaas-goes-t-soars-into-space-coast-the-sky/

[RocketLover0119]

NSF grabs of launch

Just had MECO-1

Apologies for not being here to host, busy elsewhere.

[zubenelgenubi]

1st Centaur MECO.  Coast in initial orbit.

[zubenelgenubi]

Next launch for NOAA is JPSS-2, later this year.

[GOES-U aboard Falcon 9 in 2024 completes GOES-R series.]

GEO-XO (?) next generation of geo weather satellites.

[zubenelgenubi]

Centaur MES-2 to raise apogee.  Circa 6 minutes burn.

[zubenelgenubi]

Lightning detection system at payload fairing level. 🌩

The measurements taken by this equipment allowed Mars 2020 launch to proceed without directly accessing the payload as the rocket and payload were already stacked on the pad--otherwise could have missed launch window.

[zubenelgenubi]

Centaur MECO-2.  Circa 180 minutes coast to apogee at geostationary orbit altitude.

Live coverage will return at that time.

[edkyle99]

NASA Media Channel view.  No overlays!

 - Ed Kyle

[AS_501]

BTW, after first stage separation, what's the function of the small tube to the right of the second stage engine nozzle?  The tube has about a 45 deg. bend.  Brief thrust to push the second stage away from the first?  Just a vent line?

Thx

[PahTo]

BTW, after first stage separation, what's the function of the small tube to the right of the second stage engine nozzle?  The tube has about a 45 deg. bend.  Brief thrust to push the second stage away from the first?  Just a vent line?

Thx

I believe you are referring to the fuel turbine/turbopump exhaust duct.

[ethan829]

BTW, after first stage separation, what's the function of the small tube to the right of the second stage engine nozzle?  The tube has about a 45 deg. bend.  Brief thrust to push the second stage away from the first?  Just a vent line?

Thx

I believe you are referring to the fuel turbine/turbopump exhaust duct.

The RL10 is a closed expander cycle, there is no turbopump exhaust. That's the Overboard Vent System, which vents the hydrogen used for RL10 chilldown.

[Rondaz]

The Atlas V in the 541 configuration rips off the pad!

Couldn’t be thrilled for this remote camera shot.

https://twitter.com/mdcainjr/status/1498810785023369219

[Rondaz]

My very first Atlas V remote shot is in the books! Have always wanted to capture the raw power of those boosters. Incredible finale to a super fun mission for @NASA & @NOAA

https://twitter.com/NickyXPhoto/status/1498811424130445314

[Rondaz]

#GOEST remote shots

https://twitter.com/baserunner0723/status/1498808504211193857

[Rondaz]

#GOEST launch as seen from the current GOES East Satellite.  Launch pad is just above green arrow.  Green dot is the rocket leaving.

https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea/status/1498776547594887169

[Rondaz]

Hi-res view of the GOES-T launch.

Absolutely incredible, breathtaking imagery!!!!

https://twitter.com/weatherdak/status/1498780313324978181

[Rondaz]

The @NOAA #GOEST observatory lifted off aboard the #AtlasV rocket at 4:38 p.m. EST. Today's flight is occurring on the fourth anniversary of the #GOESS spacecraft launch also aboard #AtlasV.

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1498817715326357507

[zubenelgenubi]

The third Centaur MES should be soon--raise perigee and reduce orbital inclination.  Following is spacecraft separation.

The stack suspended above the Eastern Hemisphere.

Also:

https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/next-launch/atlas-v-goes-t

Mar 02 00:38

T+plus 1 hour. Our official liftoff time was 4:38:00.116 p.m. EST (2138:00.116 UTC).

[zubenelgenubi]

MES-3
MECO-3
Spacecraft separation

[RocketLover0119]

Payload deploy!

[zubenelgenubi]

Soon: solar array deploy

Also: Centaur blowdown of residual propellants and gases, as part of stage passivation and changing orbit enough that it is not a collision hazard to geosynchronous satellites.

Spacecraft and instruments checkout over the coming days as s/c drifts to its geosynchronous orbit slot-- thruster firings.  11 days.

GOES-T then becomes GOES-18.

Sign-off.

[zubenelgenubi]

Congratulations to the entire launch campaign team!

Thanks NSF webcasters!  And thanks to RL0119!

Next Space Coast launch is March 3, with a Falcon 9 Starlink launch.

[Rondaz]

I love Solid Rocket Boosters! #Atlas - Turn Up The Volume

https://twitter.com/izqomar/status/1498776023831388160

[Rondaz]

MISSION SUCCESS! United Launch Alliance's #AtlasV delivers @NOAA's #GOEST weather satellite into orbit to provide rapid, high-quality data to improve forecasts and save lives. Success #149 for ULA! Thank you to our customers @NOAASatellites and @NASA_LSP!

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1498834539283681284

[Rondaz]

GOES-T Separates from Spacecraft, Continues on Journey to Save Lives

James Cawley Posted on March 1, 2022

Following completion of a third planned start and then cutoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 Centaur main engine, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite separated from the spacecraft and is continuing on its journey to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods and other severe weather.

In addition, GOES observations have proven helpful in monitoring dust storms, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires.

“That is what it’s all about – when we get to the spacecraft separation. It’s years of work going into that one event,” said NASA Launch Director Tim Dunn. “Today, we were blessed with a smooth and successful countdown.”

A joint effort between NASA and NOAA, GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit, replacing GOES-17 as GOES West. It will be positioned to watch over the western contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean. The satellite will be ideally located to monitor weather systems and hazards that most affect this region of the Western Hemisphere.

GOES-T is about the size of a small school bus and weighs more than 6,000 pounds. Liftoff, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida, occurred right at the top of the two-hour launch window at 4:38 p.m. EST. The launch was managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This concludes today’s live coverage of GOES-T launch day activities. To learn more about the GOES Satellite Network or to meet members of the GOES-T team, click here.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2022/03/01/goes-t-separates-from-rocket-continues-on-journey-to-save-lives/

[Targeteer]

March 02, 2022
RELEASE 22-023
NASA, ULA Launch NOAA’s Newest Earth Observing Satellite

NASA successfully launched the third in a series of next-generation weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at 4:38 p.m. EST Tuesday. The newest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-T, launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

GOES-T mission managers confirmed at 8:28 p.m. the spacecraft’s solar arrays successfully deployed and the spacecraft was operating on its own power.

“We at NASA are proud to support our joint agency partner, NOAA, and their mission to provide critical data and imagery to forecasters and researchers tracking hazardous weather,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “While the GOES-R series satellites’ main job is to help with weather prediction, these satellites produce observations that also help with NASA science. Our agencies’ collaboration brings great benefits toward understanding our planet.”

The satellite will provide continuous coverage of weather and hazardous environmental conditions in the Western Hemisphere. The GOES program also predicts space weather near Earth that can interfere with satellite electronics, GPS, and radio communications.

“We at NASA feel honored to continue to work with NOAA on this strategic and successful partnership. Besides our work on spacecraft development and launch, NASA supported science teams are looking forward to analyzing the precious data that GOES-T will provide,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “These observations are a key part of our research towards improving understanding and models of climate, weather, and space weather – models that, in turn, support NOAA’s crucial work as they lead the weather and space weather forecasts for the nation.”

Once GOES-T is positioned in a geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above Earth, it will be renamed GOES-18. Following a successful orbital checkout of its instruments and systems,  GOES-18 will go into service over the U.S. West Coast and Pacific Ocean. This position puts it in a key spot where it can observe weather sweeping in from the west to the east over the U.S. – giving forecasters an upstream view of what is coming.

“This launch continues a 48-year history of NOAA, NASA, industry, and academia working together on geostationary satellite observations,” said John Gagosian, director of NASA’s Joint Agency Satellite Division. “GOES satellites help us every day. They bring advanced new capabilities to help forecasters better monitor and predict dangerous environmental conditions like hurricanes, thunderstorms, floods, and fires.”

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R spacecraft and instruments and built the Magnetometer instrument for GOES-T, as well as for the future GOES-U satellite. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, provided launch management for the mission. NOAA oversees the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, managing the ground system, operating the satellites, and distributing their data to users worldwide. Lockheed Martin designs, builds, and tests the GOES-R series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, along with the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

For more information about GOES, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/content/goes

[jacqmans]

NOAA's GOES-T Weather Satellite, Built By Lockheed Martin, Successfully Launches

This satellite is the newest in a series that will provide meteorologists in the U.S. and Western Hemisphere with high-resolution images of wildfires, lightning, hurricanes and other weather hazards.

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Space and Earth weather forecasting across the Western Hemisphere just got a little boost thanks to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-T), an advanced weather satellite built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The satellite successfully launched from Florida's Space Coast at 4:38 p.m. ET. 

"GOES-T's launch is the culmination of innovative engineering, science and strong teamwork between NASA, NOAA and Lockheed Martin," said Jagdeep Shergill, Lockheed Martin's GOES-R chief engineer and program manager. "With the impact climate change has on weather patterns around the world, the work of satellites like GOES-T is more crucial than ever before, to help keep people safe now and in the future."

GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18 when it reaches geostationary orbit. Once operational, GOES-18 will take GOES-17's place tracking atmospheric rivers, floods, wildfires, drought, and other severe weather and climate phenomena over the West Coast of the United States.

Advanced Monitoring of Weather, Oceans and Climate

As climate change continues to drive more frequent and severe environmental impacts, the GOES-R satellite series – of which GOES-T is the third – uses sophisticated technology to put information in the hands of those who need it most, when they need it.

Before it starts collecting and sharing critical weather data, the satellite's journey to space began in Littleton, Colorado, where it was designed and built by Lockheed Martin engineers.

Based on Lockheed Martin's novel A2100 satellite bus design, the spacecraft features two high-tech instruments built by the company's Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, California:

Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), which is a first-of-its-kind operational lightning mapper flown into its orbit, tracking lightning across the U.S. in real-time. By collecting data on the frequency, location and extent of lightning discharges, GLM allows meteorologists to quickly identify intensifying storms and take appropriate action. In 2020, GLM captured a lightning megaflash nearly 500 miles long that broke the world record for longest lightning flash.
Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI), focuses on space weather and measures the sun in extreme ultraviolet wavelength range and provides solar images. SUVI is essential to understanding active areas on the sun and predicting solar events that may disrupt power utilities, communication or navigation systems here on Earth.
Over its 10-year operational lifetime, GOES-T can produce over a terabyte of data per day and monitors severe weather continuously, supporting NOAA's mission to provide weather data to save lives.

What's After Lift Off?
Now that it's in space, GOES-T will undergo an on-orbit checkout of its instruments and systems before beginning official operations in January 2023.

In addition to severe weather monitoring, it will do things like:

Identify volcanic eruptions, even ones under the ocean, like the recent event near Tonga
Measure land and sea surface temperatures to track drought conditions and warming oceans
Provide early alerts to emergency responders for wildfires, including those caused by lightning strikes
Observe solar flares that could impact telecommunication on and around Earth
With three of the four GOES-R weather satellites now launched, GOES-U, the last satellite in the series, is in production and planned for a 2024 launch.

Beyond the GOES-R series, Lockheed Martin looks forward to continued partnership with NASA and NOAA as they look ahead to future weather and climate missions.

More About the Mission
For over 50 years, Lockheed Martin has built and launched more than 120 weather and environmental spacecraft for our government's civil and military agencies. NOAA's present-day GOES-R Series is a collaborative acquisition and development effort between NOAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop, launch and operate weather satellites. NOAA operates the GOES satellites and produces and distributes data and information to users worldwide, while NASA oversees the acquisition of the spacecraft and instruments, in addition to the management of the launch through NASA's Launch Services Program. Lockheed Martin is designing, building, testing, flying and envisioning advanced spacecraft that will enable future mission success and inspire the next generation of explorers.

https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2022-03-01-NOAAs-GOES-T-Weather-Satellite,-Built-by-Lockheed-Martin,-Successfully-Launches

[Targeteer]

When I first saw the post I thought it was a photoshopped shuttle launch...

Mike Killian Photography 8h  ·
Flew an epic photo/video shoot today with one of America’s most iconic fighters the F-86 Sabre, intercepting this afternoon’s Atlas-V rocket launch deploying the GOES-T weather satellite from Cape Canaveral for NOAA. Jet owned & piloted by Doug Matthews, which took 10 years to restore with his team at Classic Fighters of America.
With thanks to my photo pilot Scott Farnsworth, couldn’t have done it without him! Huge bucket list shoot today that I’ve wanted for over a decade, jets & rockets, bringing two of my passions together in the sky
 - Mike Killian Photography

[Rondaz]

CelesTrak has TLEs for 2 objects from the launch (2022-021) of GOES-T atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral on Mar 1 at 2138 UTC:

https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1498923234770571264

[Rondaz]

https://twitter.com/baserunner0723/status/1498813247750909956

https://twitter.com/baserunner0723/status/1498860820297666561

https://twitter.com/baserunner0723/status/1498861848288010248

[input~2]

2 objects cataloged:

2022-022A/51850 in 8897 x 35277 km x 9.42°
2022-022B/51851 in 8902 x 35274 km x 9.37°

AFAIU these should be resp. 2022-021A & 2022-021B

[jacqmans]

Northrop Grumman GEM 63 Solid Rocket Boosters Help Successfully Launch GOES-T Satellite aboard a ULA Atlas V Rocket


MAGNA, Utah – March 2, 2022 – Four Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) 63-inch-diameter Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM 63) solid rocket boosters helped successfully launch and deploy the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T) aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket today. The GEM 63 boosters provided approximately 1.5 million pounds of additional maximum thrust at launch, with each motor contributing approximately 375,000 pounds of thrust. Northrop Grumman also produced the composite heat shield, the Centaur interstage adapter and the boattail on the ULA Atlas V launch vehicle.

https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-gem-63-solid-rocket-boosters-help-successfully-launch-goes-t-satellite-aboard-a-ula-atlas-v-rocket

[Targeteer]

When I first saw the post I thought it was a photoshopped shuttle launch...

Mike Killian Photography 8h  ·
Flew an epic photo/video shoot today with one of America’s most iconic fighters the F-86 Sabre, intercepting this afternoon’s Atlas-V rocket launch deploying the GOES-T weather satellite from Cape Canaveral for NOAA. Jet owned & piloted by Doug Matthews, which took 10 years to restore with his team at Classic Fighters of America.
With thanks to my photo pilot Scott Farnsworth, couldn’t have done it without him! Huge bucket list shoot today that I’ve wanted for over a decade, jets & rockets, bringing two of my passions together in the sky
 - Mike Killian Photography

[Rondaz]

Sounds like a sensor on GOES-T has caused a rough start for the spacecraft’s orbit raising maneuvers:

https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98/status/1499511601501806593

[Rondaz]

Atlas V GOES-T Launch Highlights

[edkyle99]

Sounds like a sensor on GOES-T has caused a rough start for the spacecraft’s orbit raising maneuvers:

https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98/status/1499511601501806593

This pointed to a restricted Twitter account, so not sure about the source, etc., except that Thomas is with NSF.

 - Ed Kyle

[input~2]

2 objects cataloged:

2022-022A/51850 in 8897 x 35277 km x 9.42°
2022-022B/51851 in 8902 x 35274 km x 9.37°

AFAIU these should be resp. 2022-021A & 2022-021B

International designator for 51850 has now been corrected (not yet for 51851...)

[Targeteer]

[Josh_from_Canada]

Rocket Cam

[dsmillman]

Latest orbital elements for GOES-T:

Perigee: 16,776.1 km
Apogee: 35,281.7 km
Inclination: 4.7 °
Period: 967.3 minutes
Semi major axis: 32399 km

So any problems have been solved.

[edkyle99]

Stephen Clark has written a story at SFN explaining the "minor snag" that caused the first orbit raising burn on March 3 to be aborted.  Had to do with details of a temperature sensor relocation.  Orbit raising resumed on March 5.

 - Ed Kyle

[kdhilliard]

Stephen Clark has written a story at SFN explaining the "minor snag" that caused the first orbit raising burn on March 3 to be aborted. ...

Link:  GOES-T weather satellite resumes orbit-raising after minor snag · Stephen Clark · March 10, 2022 · Spaceflight Now

[Rondaz]

We’ve just received confirmation that #GOEST has executed its final engine burn, and has reached geostationary orbit 22,236 miles above Earth! It has now been renamed GOES-18!

https://twitter.com/NOAASatellites/status/1503437309131120640

[Targeteer]

51850    OBJECT A   2022-021A   2022-03-01   1231.18min   1.35deg   35283km   28064km

[Targeteer]

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/earth-from-orbit-noaa-debuts-first-imagery-from-goes-18

May 12, 2022
Earth from Orbit: NOAA Debuts First Imagery from GOES-18


On May 11, 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, shared the first images of the Western Hemisphere from its Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T). Later designated GOES-18, the satellite’s Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument recently captured stunning views of Earth.

Launched by NASA on March 1, GOES-18 lifted off at 4:38 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. The ABI views Earth with 16 different channels, each measuring energy at different wavelengths along the electromagnetic spectrum to obtain information about Earth’s atmosphere, land, and ocean.

[Targeteer]

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaa-shares-flashy-first-imagery-goes-18-lightning-mapper

 NOAA Shares Flashy First Imagery from GOES-18 Lightning Mapper
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Share
June 2, 2022
Download MP4
Download MP4 Text-Free

The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument, onboard NOAA’s GOES-18 satellite, is now providing striking lightning observations of the Western Hemisphere. GOES-18 launched on March 1, 2022.

Recently, the GOES-18 GLM detected and monitored lightning activity in severe storms across the U.S. A derecho moved through the Northern Plains on May 12, particularly affecting eastern South Dakota and west central Minnesota. Derechos feature unusually widespread wind damage and according to NOAA’s National Weather Service, the May 12 event was one of the most extreme examples on record due to the number of significant wind gusts. This derecho produced straight-line winds between 60 and 100+ miles per hour. Several tornadoes were also confirmed in the area as well as significant blowing dust. The storm uprooted trees, damaged property, caused power outages, and resulted in injuries and at least two deaths.

GLM detects and maps total lightning—in-cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-to-ground—continuously over the Americas and adjacent ocean regions. GLM offers insights beyond the presence of a lightning strike, revealing the extent of lightning flashes and the distance they travel.

Rapid increases in total lightning activity often precede severe and tornadic thunderstorms. Characterizing lightning activity in storms allows forecasters to identify intensifying storms before they produce damaging winds, hail or tornadoes. GLM data enable forecasters to detect electrically active storms, determine the extent of the lightning threat, identify strengthening and weakening storms, monitor storm evolution, and supplement radar data where coverage is poor.

Scientists and forecasters have made great advances in the five years since the first GLM data became available from GOES-16, including the ability to extract three-dimensional information from these natively two-dimensional observations. Flying along with the storms reveals just how well the GLM captures the evolution of the individual storm cells that combine to form massive storm systems. Rapidly updating GLM data gives forecasters the ability to monitor lightning flashes with pinpoint precision over much of the Western Hemisphere.

Widespread weather events pose particular challenges for the aviation industry. Increased lightning flashes as observed by GLM occur in storms with more turbulent updrafts and downdrafts, which are a significant hazard to aircraft. GLM imagery helps pilots and air traffic controllers route flights to maximize safety and minimize economic impacts.

GOES-18 is currently undergoing post-launch testing, validation and calibration of its instruments and systems to prepare it for operations. NOAA plans for GOES-18 to replace GOES-17 as GOES West in early 2023. Imagery and data from GOES-18 during the post-launch testing phase should be considered preliminary and non-operational.

[Targeteer]

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/earth-orbit-noaas-goes-18-now-goes-west

 Earth from Orbit: NOAA’s GOES-18 is now GOES West

NOAA’s operational satellite fleet has a new member. GOES-18 entered service as GOES West on Jan. 4, 2023.
Image of earth

The milestone comes after a Mar. 1, 2022, launch and post-launch testing of the satellite’s instruments, systems, and data. GOES-18 replaces GOES-17 as GOES West, located 22,236 miles above the equator over the Pacific Ocean. GOES-17 will become an on-orbit standby.

In its new role, GOES-18 will serve as NOAA's primary geostationary satellite for detecting and monitoring Pacific hurricanes, atmospheric rivers, coastal fog, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other environmental phenomena that affect the western contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and Central America.

The satellite delivers high-resolution visible and infrared imagery, atmospheric measurements, and real-time mapping of lightning activity. It is ideally located to monitor the northeastern Pacific Ocean, where many weather systems that affect the continental U.S. originate. GOES-18 also watches the sun and detects approaching space weather hazards.

GOES-18 joins GOES-16 (GOES East) in operational service. Together the two satellites watch over more than half the globe, from the west coast of Africa to New Zealand and from near the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. Their data assists weather forecasters, emergency managers, first responders, the aviation and shipping industries, and more.
Image of the Earth
Map showing the geographical coverage of the GOES East and West satellites. (NOAA)

While GOES-18 has just officially entered operational service, the satellite has been assisting NOAA National Weather Service forecasters for months. Usually, GOES satellites complete post-launch testing in a location over the central U.S., but GOES-18’s early successes allowed NOAA to move it to its future operational location early. GOES-18 began sending imagery from its new location in June.

Due to an issue with the cooling system on GOES-17’s Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument, some GOES-17 imagery was degraded during certain times of the year. In August, NOAA implemented a unique solution to mitigate the loss of some GOES-17 imagery during these “warm” periods. From Aug. 1 to Sept. 8 and from Oct. 13 to Nov. 16, NOAA provided data from the GOES-18 ABI to GOES West data users. This was accomplished through a data “interleave” that delivered GOES-18 ABI data alongside GOES-17 lightning mapper and space weather data. This allowed forecasters to utilize GOES-18 imagery during the height of the Pacific hurricane season.

Now that GOES-18 is operating as GOES West, GOES-17 will be moved to a central location between GOES East and GOES West to serve as a backup for the operational constellation.

The GOES-R Series Program is a four-satellite mission that includes GOES-R (GOES-16, launched in 2016), GOES-S (GOES-17, launched in 2018), GOES-T (GOES-18), and GOES-U, which is scheduled to launch in 2024. The program is a collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA. NASA builds and launches the satellites for NOAA, which operates them and distributes their data to users worldwide.

GOES-R Series satellites are planned to operate into the 2030s. NOAA and NASA have already begun work on the next-generation geostationary mission called Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO). The Department of Commerce formally approved the GeoXO Program on Dec. 14, 2022. GeoXO will continue observations provided by GOES-R and bring new capabilities to address our changing planet and the evolving needs of NOAA’s data users.

[Targeteer]

https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/trade-release/2023/01/noaas-goes-18-weather-satellite-declared-operational-l3harris?sf174016542=1&fbclid=IwAR3qLGDDpopWdlY-HZiVtN8x3bamL8Vk8f50WE4xwJiuPDuCVVU3aeedZZw

 NOAA’s GOES-18 Weather Satellite Declared Operational with L3Harris Advanced Baseline Imager Technology Onboard

Highlights:

• Provides NOAA with increased environmental, weather and monitoring capabilities

• Monitors severe weather conditions across the Western Hemisphere every 30 seconds

• Delivers five times faster coverage than the previous generation imager
SA
Space & Airborne Systems
Jan 5, 2023 | 2 MINUTE Read

    Space & Airborne Systems
    Resilient Communications and Networks
    Weather and Environment

MELBOURNE, Fla. — NOAA declared the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-18 fully operational as GOES West, marking a significant milestone for severe weather detection in the Western Hemisphere.

Launched March 1, 2022, the primary instrument aboard GOES-18 is the L3Harris high-resolution Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). L3Harris also produced the enterprise ground system which processes the imagery and controls the weather satellite constellation and its suite of instruments.

“Yesterday's declaration of GOES-18 as fully operational reinforces our relentless pursuit to build a more weather-ready nation,” said Rob Mitrevski, Vice President and General Manager, Spectral Solutions, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “As a long-standing and trusted partner to NOAA, we have successfully delivered more than 75 payloads in 60 years and are proud of the significant role our technology is playing to help detect future severe weather events.”

The ABI views Earth with 16 spectral bands and provides three times more spectral information, four times the spatial resolution, and more than five times faster coverage than the previous generation imager. The ABI onboard GOES-18 provides critical weather data on the western contiguous U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Central America and the Pacific.

The final satellite in the GOES-R series of advanced geostationary weather sensors, GOES-U, is slated to launch in 2024 and features L3Harris’ fourth ABI. NOAA’s next-generation geostationary satellite mission, Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), will begin operating in the early 2030s and the imager award is expected to be announced in early 2023.

[catdlr]

Jul 29, 2024
The Park Fire north of Sacramento, California has grown to an "astonishing 239,000 acres," according to NOAA GOES-18 views. See time-lapses of its growth here.