CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — It was quiet at Kennedy Space Center Tuesday afternoon, that was until a roar came from across the water as GOES-T, the third in a fleet of GOES-R series of weather satellites, took to the skies over the Atlantic Ocean.
The launch occurred at the start of the launch window, right at 4:38 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base.
GOES-T will become the satellite responsible for watching the GOES-West domain, which includes the western United States and Pacific Ocean.
Shortly after GOES-17's launch in 2018, engineers with NOAA and NASA discovered a problem -- there was an issue with the cooling systems onboard that affects the satellite’s ability to detect temperatures.
As for GOES-T, there are a series of tests it must complete before it takes responsibility for the GOES-West domain.
“We'll go through a series of on-orbit checkouts and orbit raising over the next week and a half or so to get it up to that 22,000 mile plus orbit over the western hemisphere," said Lauren Duda of Lockheed Martin, the company that built the satellite.
Once testing is complete, GOES-T will become GOES-18 and provide our computer models with data and analysis for its domain.
That data and analysis is important to have for accurate forecast in the Georgia. In order to have an accurate forecast, you need an accurate starting point. GOES-T will provide that accurate starting point as it watches over the western United States and the Pacific Ocean for years to come.