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The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite, which was built and launched by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of Seal Beach, California, was launched with the help of a Delta 4 rocket.
Lift-off of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) from Launch Complex 37 (LC-37) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is located next to the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. occurred at 6:57 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Four hours, twenty-one minutes later, the NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC), Australia -- which is commonly referred to as the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station -- saw the GOES-P spacecraft separate successfully from the Delta 4 launch vehicle
The GOES-P spacecraft will now be checked out and re-positioned in space.
Thereafter, the GOES-P mission will be to monitor and predict weather; perform scientific studies of the climate; measure ocean temperatures; and detect hazardous conditions with its emergency beacon support and Search and Rescue Transponder.
According to the March 4, 2010 media brief 'NASA and NOAA's GOES-P satellite successfully launched,' this is the final GOES satellite to be launched into orbit about the Earth.
Page two provides comments from a spokesperson for the GOES program.
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Andre Dress, the deputy project manager for the NASA GOES program, stated, 'It's a great day for NASA and NOAA, as this last launch completes the spacecraft in the GOES N-P series. It means the hard work and dedication from this team during the past 12-plus years all has been worth it."
Dress adds, "Our review of the spacecraft and launch vehicle data shows that GOES-P is in a nominal transfer orbit with all spacecraft systems functioning properly."
The article by NASA adds, 'GOES-P is the third and final spacecraft in the GOES N Series of geostationary environmental weather satellites. On March 13, GOES-P is scheduled to be placed in its final orbit and renamed GOES-15.'
And, 'NOAA has two operational GOES satellites hovering 22,300 miles above the equator -- GOES-12 in the east and GOES-11 in the west. Each provides continuous observations of environmental conditions in North, Central and South America and the surrounding oceans."
"GOES-13 is being moved to replace GOES-12, which will be positioned to provide coverage for South America as part of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems, or GEOSS.'
Further information about the GOES-P mission is found at GOES-P Mission.
