CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-O, or GOES-O, is scheduled for a liftoff on Friday, June 26, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The one-hour launch window extends from 6:14 to 7:14 p.m. EDT.
NASA will provide television, Internet and photo coverage of the launch starting with a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m., on Thursday, June 25, at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Press Site.
GOES-O is the second of three in the current series of geostationary weather and environmental satellites built for NASA by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. It will be launched into orbit for NASA aboard a Boeing Delta IV rocket.
Participating in the June 25 prelaunch news conference will be:
Gary Davis, director, Office of Systems Development NOAA Satellite and Information Service
Kris Walsh, Commercial Programs manager United Launch Alliance
Ken Heinly, director, Launch Products and Services Boeing
Andre Dress, GOES-O deputy project manager NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Charlie Maloney, GOES-O program manager Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems
Bart Hagemeyer, meteorologist in charge NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office, Melbourne, Fla.
Joel Tumbiolo, Delta IV launch weather officer 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
NASA Television will carry the prelaunch news conference on the “public channel.” On launch day, June 26, NASA TV countdown coverage will begin on the “media channel” at 4 p.m. and will conclude 30 minutes after liftoff. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:
Audio only of the prelaunch news conference and the launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, – 1240, -1260 and -7135. On launch day, “Mission Audio,” the launch conductor’s countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135 starting at noon. Launch will also be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County.
Prelaunch and launch day coverage of GOES-O mission will be available on the NASA Web site at:
Live countdown coverage on NASA’s launch blog begins at 4 p.m., on June 26. Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video and podcast of launch. To access these features, go to NASA’s GOES-O mission Web site at:
GOES-O will also provide expanded capability for the space and solar environment-monitoring instruments. Forecasts and warnings for solar disturbances will be enhanced. GOES-O data will protect investments of billions of dollars by the government and private sector for assets on the ground and in space.
GOES-O will feature a highly stable pointing platform, which will improve the performance of its Imager and Sounder that are important instruments for creating daily weather-prediction models and for hurricane forecasting. Data from GOES-O will be valuable for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service, which provides oceanographic circulation models and forecasts for U.S. coastal communities.
As with all of NOAA’s geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites, GOES-O will be able to relay distress signals detected from emergency locator beacons on the ground and at sea.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland is responsible for designing and developing the spacecraft and its instruments for NOAA.
For further information about GOES-O’s launch coverage, contact the Kennedy Space Center News Center at 321-867-2468.
