WASHINGTON, May 15, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- NASA will host a media availability to
view NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellite U) spacecraft Thursday June
6, at the Astrotech Space Operations payload processing
facility in Titusville,
Florida.
NASA is targeting a two-hour launch window opening at
5:16 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25, for
the launch of GOES-U on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch
Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida.
Ahead of the launch, media will have an opportunity to
photograph the satellite and speak with subject-matter experts. As
the fourth and final satellite in the GOES-R Series, GOES-U
will continue weather observations and include a new compact
coronagraph that will image the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere
to detect and characterize coronal mass ejections.
Media interested in participating in the June 6 event must RSVP by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29, and submit their
request online at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
NASA's media accreditation policy is available online. For
questions about accreditation, please email:
ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
Facility Access
Due to spacecraft cleanliness
requirements, this invitation is open to a limited number of media
with no more than two requests per media organization. This event
is open to U.S. citizens who possess an unexpired government-issued
photo identification, such as a driver's license, and proof of U.S.
citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate.
Media who attend this event must comply with cleanroom
guidelines. This includes wearing specific cleanroom garments;
avoiding cologne, cosmetics, and high-heeled shoes; cleaning camera
equipment under the supervision or assistance of contamination
control specialists; and placing all electronics in airplane mode
in the designated areas near the spacecraft. NASA will provide
detailed guidance to approved media.
About GOES-U
The GOES-R series has improved the
detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly
affect public safety, protection of property, and the nation's
economic health and prosperity.
The advanced instruments on the GOES-R series of satellites
provide images of Earth's weather, oceans, and environment with
sharper resolution and rapid-refresh imagery, as well as real-time
mapping of lightning activity and improved monitoring of solar
activity and space weather.
NASA and NOAA collaborate on various missions to enhance our
understanding of Earth, its climate, and its environment, enhancing
the safety and well-being of all humanity. NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Maryland, manages the acquisition of the spacecraft and
instruments and built the Magnetometer instrument for GOES-T and
GOES-U. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, manages the launch
services for the GOES missions. Lockheed Martin designs, builds,
and tests the GOES-R series satellites. L3Harris Technologies
provides the primary instrument, the Advanced Baseline Imager,
along with the ground system, which includes the antenna system for
data reception.
The GOES-U spacecraft is the last of the GOES-R Series
satellites, which are planned to operate into the 2030s. Looking
forward, NOAA is working with NASA to develop the next generation
of operational satellites in geostationary orbit, called
Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO). This program will
provide new and improved observations of the atmosphere, weather,
and ocean to help address emerging environmental issues, respond to
the effects of Earth's changing climate, and improve forecasting
and warning of severe weather and hazards. NASA will manage the
development of the GeoXO satellites and launch them for NOAA.
For more information about the GOES-U mission, visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/48httvm
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SOURCE NASA