6th UPDATE: New launch time is 6:42 p.m
5th UPDATE: New launch time is 6:32 p.m
4th UPDATE: New launch time is 6:27 p.m
3rd UPDATE: New launch time is 6:22 p.m
2nd UPDATE: New launch time is 6:17 p.m
UPDATE: New launch time is 6:07 p.m.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 configuration rocket carrying a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R) from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is scheduled to launch on Saturday, November 19, 2016. The one-hour launch window opens at 5:42 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
GOES-R is the first of four satellites to be launched for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA in a new and advanced series of weather spacecraft. Once in geostationary orbit, it will be known as GOES-16.
The spacecraft will provide continuous imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s Western Hemisphere and space weather monitoring. Compared with today’s geostationary satellites, GOES-R will scan the Earth five times faster at four times image resolution and triple the number of channels scientists can tap into to observe global weather and climate.
GOES-R will support short-term forecasts and severe storm watches and warnings, maritime forecasts, seasonal predictions, drought outlooks and space weather predictions. The satellite also will improve hurricane tracking and intensity forecasts, increase thunderstorm and tornado warning lead time, improve aviation flight route planning, and provide data for long-term climate variability studies.
In addition to weather forecasting, GOES-R carries a transponder to detect distress signals from emergency beacons on aircraft, boats/ships and carried by individuals as part of the Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system.
Image credit: NASA
