VIDEO: Tonight's Delta IV Launch of GOES-O

SLN Video: Delta IV launch of GOES-O

Delta IV Launches GOES-O Satellite for NOAA

A new weather satellite successfully arrived into earth orbit this evening following a beautiful ride aboard a Delta IV rocket from America's space coast.

The United Launch Alliance Delta IV, with its twin boosters, lifted off at 6:51 pm EDT, 37 minutes late due to severe thunderstorms and lightning near it's launch pad here at Cape Canaveral, AFS.

Delta IV to Launch Weather Satellite Today

NASA and the United Launch Alliance will try again this afternoon to get an advanced weather satellite off the ground and into a high earth orbit following a launch scrub last night due to lightning and storms over it's Cape Canaveral launch pad.

Weather is only marginal as the same late afternoon thunderstorms will likely redevelop today prior to the opening of a one hour launch window at 6:14 pm EDT. Forecasters are giving today's liftoff a 40% weather "Go".

The NASA and NOAA GOES-O meteorological satellite will fly aboard a ULA Delta IV (above this morning) from launch complex 37 here at Cape Canaveral AFS.

Storms Delay Weather Satellite Launch

In a bit of irony, the launch of an enhanced, multi-telescope weather satellite was delayed 24 hours this evening due to severe weather at and around its launch pad here at Cape Canaveral.

As the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket was fueled and proceeded through the countdown with no issues, the heating of the atmosphere over central Florida and the Space Coast saw the development of anvil clouds which can and did produce thunderstorms and lightning.

As the countdown entered the final hold at T-5 minutes at 5:54 pm EDT, the launch team was "red" only for lightning and rain storms within the allowable distance from the pad. And so, the launch team waited out the storms, even setting a new launch time of 6:44 pm when the storms continued to develop. But the launch was not to be and the team scrubbed for the day at 7:00 pm tonight.

So for now, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have rescheduled the launch of the Delta IV for Saturday evening at 6:14 pm EDT. The launch window is one hour.

Thunderstorms are also forecast to develop late afternoon tomorrow, too, and the Air Force Meteorology Group is calling for a 40% "GO" for favorable weather. ULA also stated that if a second launch scrub occurs, then the launch team will stand down on Sunday and try to fly on Monday.

The GOES-O, once launched, will "live" in a parking orbit near the GOES-N satellite as on-orbit spares. With the current two GOES weather satellites delivering detailed images each half hour, their fuel is running low and may only have another year or so of life. When this happens, GOES N & O will replace and begin providing higher detailed images; and use their telescopes to forecast solar flare activities and their effect on the earth. (Images via NASA/KSC)

New Weather Satellite set for Friday Launch

NASA is just one day away from the launch of a Delta IV rocket with an advanced weather satellite a top from America's space coast.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite O, or GOES 14 when in space, is a multi-telescope and imaging weather satellite designed to study the emitting solar flares from the Sun and how it effects the earth's atmosphere. GOES will act in giving the world an early warning system of possible intense solar flares which can knock out earth bound communications.

Launch from Cape Canaveral AFS's launch complex 37 is planned for tomorrow evening, June 26, at the opening of a one-hour launch window which begins at 6:14 pm EDT.

The Cape Canaveral Air Force Meteorology group state only a 70% favorable weather forecast at launch time due to late afternoon summer thunderstorms around central Florida.

Later today at 1PM EDT, a NOAA & NASA news conference will be held at the Cape to discuss the GOES-O launch and mission. SpaceLaunchNews.com will cover both the conference today and the launch on Friday, beginning at 4PM, LIVE.

Once in space, GOES O will become GOES-14, and will undergo an operational test period of six months prior to being placed in storage until one of the two older GOES satellites fails. Please read our stories below for more details on the mission.

At T minus one day, eight hours 50 minutes until launch, this is spacelaunchnews.com.

SLN Video: GOES 13 (O) Prepare for Launch

Watch how NASA & NOAA prepares for June 26th launch.

NASA to Launch Improved Weather Satellite

A new enhanced weather satellite is just days away from launch, and once aloft will greatly improve the forecasting of earth's weather, climate changes and how solar energy effects our planets atmosphere.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or GOES-O, is the second of three meteorological satellites built for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and ran by NASA, will feature a high quality imager and two new telescopes for measuring X-ray

According to NASA, GOES-O "will add to the global community of knowledge, embracing many civil and government environmental forecasting organizations that work to benefit people everywhere and help save lives".

Launch of the GOES-O weather satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV is set for this Friday afternoon, June 26. The launch will take place from complex 37 here at Cape Canaveral, AFS, at the opening of a launch window which runs from 6:14 pm to 7:14 pm EDT.

(Watch the Launch LIVE via SpaceLaunchNews.com beginning at 5:30 pm EDT.)

Following a six month on orbit check out of the satellite, the GOES-O will be turned over to NOAA, and the "O" will be replaced by the number 14. GOES-14 will be placed into storage until it is needed.

GOES will have a solar x-ray sensor, or XRS, as one of its many weather measuring instruments. The XRS will be used to detect how strong emitting solar flares are as they move toward earth. Solar flares are constantly shooting off the Sun's surface creating a solar energy which can disrupt communications, GPS signals and satellite transmissions around earth.

Another X-ray telescope is the Solar X-Ray Imager, or SXI. The SXI will look over GOES-O's shoulder and back at the Sun as it detects and images solar activity every minute to give earth based communication station's a heads-up for possible solar interference.

GOES-O will work above the western hemisphere at an altitude of 22,233 miles (35,780 km) up. From this fixed point - called geostationary orbit - the satellite will stay at one fixed point above earth as it moves at the same speed as the planet spins.

Currently, the GOES-N, which launched in May 2006, is not in use and instead is on standby mode over the equator ready to replace either the active GOES-K or GOES-M.

Delta IV Launch Delayed until NET May 20th

NASA and the United Launch Alliance announced today that the Delta IV launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with the GOES-O weather satellite will occur no earlier than May 20th.

They "anticipate" a further delay, and most here at the Cape believe that Delta IV will not fly until after the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on June 2.

"Recent production lot testing of the linear shape charge system has indicated the need to incorporate minor design changes to assure their reliability. The linear shape charge is a component of the Range Safety command destruct system", NASA spokesperson George Diller stated this afternoon here at KSC. "There are three linear shape charges on this Delta IV which will require a modification. Schedules are being developed for the qualification and implementation of the design modification."

The newest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - O will service the United States and most of North America from it's geostationary orbit above the equator. GOES-O will provide satellite imagery of weather systems - including inferred.

The Delta IV underwent a wet test on April 21st to see if a fuel leak - which was discovered in early April - had been repaired. No leaks were seen.