William Atkins
Sunday, 28 June 2009 18:58
Science -
Space
Page 1 of 2
NASA launched the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite O (GOES-O) into space at 6:51 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, June 27, 2009. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite helps to keep the United States informed of weather conditions and environmental events.
The GOES-O satellite will help to improve weather forecasting and add to the ability of the United States to monitor environmental events.
The website of the NOAA Office of Satellite Operations (
OSO) states,
“GOES
satellites provide the kind of continuous monitoring necessary for
intensive data analysis. They circle the Earth in a geosynchronous
orbit, which means they orbit the equatorial plane of the Earth at a
speed matching the Earth's rotation. This allows them to hover
continuously over one position on the surface."
"The geosynchronous plane
is about 35,800 km (22,300 miles) above the Earth, high enough to allow
the satellites a full-disc view of the Earth. Because they stay above a
fixed spot on the surface, they provide a constant vigil for the
atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes,
flash floods, hail storms, and hurricanes. When these conditions
develop the GOES satellites are able to monitor storm development and
track their movements.”
The launch of GOES-O took place at Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The geostationary environmental weather satellite is the second such satellite to be launched into space, all a part of the GOES N series of satellites.
The GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) program is part of the U.S. National Weather Service. Its mission it to support weather forecasting, along with the tracking of severe storms and meteorological research.
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