Jane Edwards
The launch of the first of the four National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s geostationary weather satellites has been rescheduled from Nov. 16 to Nov. 19, pending clearance from the Eastern Range.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R system will lift off aboard a United Launch Alliance-built Atlas V rocket from space launch complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, ULA said in a Twitter post published Friday.
NOAA works with NASA on the launch of the GOES-R satellite.
The GOES-R satellite will be called GOES-16 once it reaches the geostationary orbit and will work to gather Earth images in support of short-term weather forecasts, drought outlooks, storm watches, maritime forecasts and space weather predictions, according to the Boeing–Lockheed Martin joint venture.
GOES-R will carry a transponder designed to monitor distress signals from aircraft and ships as part of the Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system, ULA added.
The launch of the satellite was originally scheduled on Nov. 4 but has been moved to Nov. 16 by NASA.
