NOAA scientists get a stronger satellite presence above the planet. And that means possibly greater forecasting power.
United Launch Alliance sent a high-tech satellite into space Thursday that weather forecasters have been highly anticipating.
At 5:02 p.m., ULA’s Atlas V rocket ignited and took flight from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral, carrying with it the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s GOES-S satellite.
About three minutes later, NASA Flight Commentator Marty Malinowski announced that the satellite had made it into space.
“We have a good faring jettison, exposing the GOES-S to space for the first time,” he said.
Once in orbit, GOES-S’s name will change to GOES-17, joining the GOES-16 satellite that launched in 2016 to create a powerful tandem that will inform weather forecasters using data it captures.
The GOES-16 provides highdefinition views of the East Coast while the GOES-17 will do the same for the West Coast.
Stephen Volz, NOAA’s acting assistant secretary for environmental observation & prediction, said GOES-16 has helped the weather industry take a huge step forward in its predictive capabilities.
It has “revolutionized the way weather forecasters and the general public see weather information,” he said.
In the moments leading up to the launch, the U.S. Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron said conditions were perfect for launch.
Tory Bruno, the president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, said on Twitter that “the board is green,” indicating that all systems are go for launch.
The GOES-S satellite will give forecasters a more direct view of weather patterns in the western U.S. That should happen about six months after its launch, according to experts working on the system.
One goal of the improved visibility is to aid firefighters in their battles with wildfires in California.
ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin focused on the Atlas and Delta rocket families, which have had 120 consecutive launches since 2006. It is preparing a new generation of rockets, the Vulcan. The company says it has 2,500 employees nationwide.