NOAA’s GOES-T Rolls out to the Pad for Tuesday’s Launch

GOES-T rollout to pad
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, carrying the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T), rolls out from the Vertical Integration Facility to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 28, 2022. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

By Jim Cawley
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite, a joint effort between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is out at the launch pad and ready for its ride into space.

On Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, GOES-T rolled out from United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vertical Integration Facility Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. Secured atop a ULA V 541 rocket, GOES-T is targeted to lift off Tuesday, March 1, at 4:38 p.m. EST. There is a two-hour launch window.

The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods, and other severe weather. In addition, GOES observations have proven helpful in monitoring dust storms, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires.

The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center.

“For us, this is really the last big operation other than launch,” said GOES-T Mission Manager Rex Engelhardt. “The end of my job is the beginning of the on-orbit checkout and operations that will go on for years and years. Once we separate the spacecraft into its correct orbit, we’re done. And that’s a good feeling; there is accomplishment there.”

GOES-T is the third satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R series – the Western Hemisphere’s most sophisticated weather observing and environmental monitoring system. The GOES-R series will maintain the two-satellite system, extending the operational lifetime through December 2036.

Follow the launch day activities here on the blog or by tuning in to NASA TV, the NASA app, or the agency’s website, starting tomorrow at 4 p.m.

Weather 70% Favorable for Tuesday’s GOES-T Launch

NOAA's GOES-T satellite
A crane is attached to NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite for its lift into the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron predict a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions for Tuesday afternoon’s launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite from Florida’s Space Coast, with the cumulus cloud rule serving as the primary weather concern.

A joint effort between NASA and NOAA, GOES-T is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41, at 4:38 p.m. EST tomorrow. GOES-T will help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods and other severe weather.

The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Tune in today at 10 a.m. to watch the NASA EDGE Rollout show. The show will air live on NASA TV and YouTube. Follow the GOES-T mission on Twitter @NASA@NASASocial@NASA_LSP@NASAKennedy; Facebook: NASANASA LSPNASA Kennedy; and Instagram: NASANASA Kennedy.

‘Go for Launch’: NOAA’s GOES-T Satellite Cleared for Tuesday Liftoff

GOES-T at the Vertical Integration Facility
A United Launch Alliance technician monitors the progress as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) is moved into United Launch Alliance’s Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
ULA's Vertical Integration Facility with GOES-T
GOES-T Liftoff is targeted for Tuesday, March 1, at 4:38 p.m. EST. There is a two-hour window for the launch. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Following a successful Launch Readiness Review at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite is cleared to proceed with Tuesday’s launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Liftoff is targeted for 4:38 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 1, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 41. There is a two-hour window for the launch, which is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy.

The current favorable weather forecast for launch day is 60%. The primary concerns are cumulus cloud and surface electric fields.

Tune in to NASA TV today, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m. for a live broadcast of the GOES-T Prelaunch News Conference. Participants include:

  • Steve Volz, acting assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and assistant administrator for satellite and information services, NOAA
  • Pam Sullivan, director, GOES-R Program, NOAA
  • John Gagosian, director, Joint Agency Satellite Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA Kennedy
  • Scott Messer, program manager, NASA Launch Services, United Launch Alliance
  • Jessica Williams, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Space Launch Delta 45

At 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, NASA EDGE will host the GOES-T rollout show. The broadcast will air live on NASA TV and YouTube. Coverage of launch day events begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 1. Follow along right here on the blog, or tune in to the live show on NASA TV, the NASA app, or the agency’s website.

GOES-T is the third satellite in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R Series, the Western Hemisphere’s most sophisticated weather observing and environmental monitoring system. The GOES-R Series provides advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements, real-time mapping of lightning activity, and space weather monitoring.

After GOES-T launches, it will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit. Following a successful on-orbit checkout of its instruments and systems, NOAA plans to put GOES-T immediately into operational service, replacing GOES-17 as GOES West.

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #GOEST. Also follow online at:

Click here for more information about GOES-T and to meet members of the mission team.

ULA Atlas V Rocket Topped Off With NOAA’s GOES-T Satellite

GOES-T at the Vertical Integration Facility
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T), enclosed in its payload fairing, is moved into the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 17, 2022. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite now officially has its ride.

GOES-T was transported from Astrotech’s Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, to United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) nearby Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. It was then mated to the top of the Atlas V 541 rocket, which will carry it into space. Liftoff is targeted for March 1, 2022, at 4:38 p.m.

The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.

After securing GOES-T atop the Atlas V, technicians conducted final validation of the communication paths through the rocket. The spacecraft and launch vehicle were then tested by successfully powering up both into launch mode to ensure they are compatible as a system.

GOES-T had been located inside the Astrotech facility since its arrival to Florida on Nov. 10, 2021. Numerous activities were conducted there, including lifting and mating the spacecraft to the payload adapter, and encapsulation, where the two halves of the ULA payload fairings were brought together and installed around the satellite to protect it during launch. The fully assembled launch vehicle will roll to the launch pad on Feb. 28.

The third satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R series, GOES-T will be delivered into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, separated from the launch vehicle, and then moved up to a higher geostationary orbit and renamed GOES-18. After being checked out, calibrated, and deemed ready for operations, GOES-18 will replace GOES-17 in the GOES-West position, keeping an eye on the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific Ocean.

The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods, and other severe weather. Click here to follow the GOES-T blog. To learn more about the GOES Satellite Network or to meet members of the GOES-T team, click here.

NOAA’s GOES-T Satellite Gets Payload Protection

GOES-T satellite encapsulation
With the first half of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing secured around NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T), the second half is moved into position inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, on Feb. 7, 2022. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

By Jim Cawley
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

Now safely encapsulated, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) satellite has completed another key milestone in preparation for its March 1, 2022, launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

GOES-T encapsulation at Astrotech
A technician inspects the first half of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing for GOES-T. The mission is scheduled to launch March 1, 2022, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility in nearby Titusville, the two halves of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairings were brought together and installed around GOES-T. The payload fairings will secure and protect the satellite during launch.

“Things are getting real now; GOES-T is fully assembled and ready for launch,” said GOES-T Mission Manager Rex Engelhardt. “Next week, we will be holding the final launch reviews and exercising the teams on their launch consoles in preparation for launch day.”

Last month, technicians began integrated operations, which included lifting and mating the spacecraft to the payload adapter – a piece of hardware that interfaces mechanically between the rocket and the spacecraft. On Feb. 17, GOES-T will be transported and mated to the launch vehicle. The fully assembled launch vehicle is targeted to roll to the launch pad on Feb. 28.

The third satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R series, GOES-T will lift off atop the Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.

The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods, and other severe weather. GOES-T will provide critical data for the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean.

Click here to follow the GOES-T blog. To learn more about the GOES Satellite Network or to meet members of the GOES-T team, click here.

ELaNa 41 Mission Update

Following launch, an in-flight anomaly prevented delivery of the CubeSat payloads on NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa 41) mission. Astra’s Rocket 3.3 carrying four small research satellites lifted off at approximately 3 p.m. on Feb. 10 from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

“Missions like these are critical for developing new launch vehicles in this growing commercial sector,” said Hamilton Fernandez, mission manager with NASA’s Launch Services Program. “The Astra team demonstrated dedication to supporting NASA’s mission. The lessons learned will benefit them and the agency going forward.”

Astra Space Inc., based in Alameda, California, was operating under NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services contract, managed by the agency’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The venture class contracts help encourage commercial development of a new class of small launch vehicles and launch providers.

Astra will work closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to investigate and will provide updated information via Twitter at @Astra.

We Have Liftoff! ELaNa 41 Mission Rockets to Space

We have liftoff! Astra’s first operational satellite mission launched on the company’s Rocket 3.3 at approximately 1:50 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The launch marked the first mission of NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract awarded by the agency’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Selected by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI), the four small satellites, or CubeSats, on board make up the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa 41) mission. CSLI provides small satellite developers at academic institutions, NASA centers, and non-profit organizations access to a low-cost pathway to conduct research in the areas of science, exploration, technology development, education or operations in space.

“Missions like these are critical for developing new launch vehicles in this growing commercial sector,” said Hamilton Fernandez, LSP mission manager. “I commend the Astra team for their dedication to supporting NASA’s mission.”

Astra Space’s Rocket 3.3 is an expendable, vertically launched two-stage liquid oxygen and kerosene rocket, designed to fit inside a standard shipping container and built to provide cost-effective access to space. The rocket consists of a first stage powered by five electric-pump-fed engines and an upper stage propelled by a single pressure-fed Aether engine.

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by tagging these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA,  @NASA_LSP, @Astra
Facebook:  NASANASALSP
Instagram:  @NASA, @AstraSpace

Weather Favorable for Astra Launch of NASA’s ELaNa 41 Mission

Astra 3.3 Rocket
Astra’s Rocket 3.3 is prepared for launch at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The rocket will carry four small spacecraft – called CubeSats – that comprise NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa 41) payload. The mission will mark the first operational satellite launch by Astra Space Inc. and the first launch under the NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract. Managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center, VCLS was developed to provide increased access to space for developers of small satellites. Photo credit: John Kraus/Astra

A high pressure system extending into north Florida has brought sunny skies, light winds, and a few clouds over Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Feb. 10, 2022, as Astra plans the launch of its Rocket 3.3 carrying NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 41 (ELaNa 41) mission. Space Launch Delta 45 predicts 90 percent favorable weather conditions during the one-hour launch window, which opens at 3 p.m. EST.

The launch from Space Launch Complex 46 will be the first mission under the NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract. The payloads include four CubeSats selected through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI), which provides launch opportunities for small research satellites built by universities, high schools, and non-profit organizations.

“Missions like these help develop and test new, emerging rockets,” said Hamilton Fernandez, mission manager for NASA’s Launch Services Program. “NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services contracts are intended to grow the commercial market while creating options for flying small, risk-tolerant payloads at lower prices than more traditional launch services contracts.”

The CubeSats of the ELaNa 41 mission were designed and built by three universities and one NASA center. These include:

  • BAMA-1– University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
  • INCA– New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
  • QubeSat– University of California, Berkeley
  • R5-S1 – NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston

Astra Space Inc. was one of three companies selected as service providers to launch CubeSats, also called microsats or nanosatellites, through VCLS Demo 2 contracts awarded by NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP), based at Kennedy Space Center.

The Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate  partnered with LSP to fund these contracts. The VCLS Demo 2 launches of small satellites can tolerate a higher level of risk than larger missions and will demonstrate – and help mitigate – risks associated with the use of new launch vehicles providing access to space for future small spacecraft and missions.

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by tagging these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA,  @NASA_LSP@Astra
Facebook:  NASANASALSP
Instagram:  @NASA, @AstraSpace

Astra To Reschedule ELaNa 41 Launch

Astra is working to resolve a minor telemetry issue following a scrub of the launch of its Rocket 3.3 from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida Feb. 7. A new date is pending for the launch, which is schedule to carry four CubeSats to space as part of NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 41 (ELaNa 41) mission.

Astra Space Inc. is one of three companies selected as service providers to launch small satellites (SmallSats) to space, including CubeSats, microsats or nanosatellites, through Venture Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contracts awarded by NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP), based at Kennedy Space Center. VCLS Demo 2 contracts help foster the development of new commercial launch vehicles for NASA payloads.

Follow this blog for additional updates as well as NASA’s social accounts:

Twitter: @NASA,  @NASA_LSP, @Astra
Facebook:  NASANASALSP
Instagram:  @NASA, @AstraSpace

 

 

Automatic Abort Triggered Before Launch of CubeSat Mission

Before the rocket left the launch pad, automatic systems on board Astra’s Rocket 3.3 triggered an abort at approximately 1:50 p.m. EST, delaying launch of NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa 41) mission.

Astra teams are currently assessing the rocket systems, and they have enough time remaining in the launch window to restart the countdown clock at T-15 if they can troubleshoot the issue that caused the abort. The launch window closes at 4 p.m. EST.

The launch, from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, is scheduled to carry four CubeSats into low-Earth Orbit. Astra Space Inc. is one of three companies selected as service providers to launch small satellites to space, including CubeSats , microsats or nanosatellites, through VCLS Demo 2 contracts awarded by NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP), based at Kennedy Space Center. LSP supports the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) by providing opportunities for small satellite payloads built by universities, high schools, and non-profit organizations to fly on upcoming launches.

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by tagging these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA,  @NASA_LSP, @Astra
Facebook:  NASANASALSP
Instagram:  @NASA, @AstraSpace