With less than three hours before the liftoff of the Atlas V rocket carrying the GOES-R satellite into orbit, the launch teams at Cape Canaveral, Florida, are working through a detailed timeline of tasks and checks to make everything goes smoothly. Today’s weather forecast improved to a 100 percent chance of acceptable conditions for launch. Liftoff remains on schedule for 5:42 p.m. EST.
Space Launch Complex 41 will be cleared shortly and the teams will perform steps to prepare to load the two-stage rocket with its cryogenic propellants. The first stage burns refined kerosene and liquid oxygen while the Centaur stage uses all-supercold propellants: liquid hydrogen fuel with liquid oxygen. The liquid oxygen is pumped into the rocket at minus-297 degrees, while the liquid hydrogen measures minus-423 degrees. The countdown, currently at T-2 hours, six minutes and counting, will enter a planned hold at the T-2 hour point.