GOES-O

Mission: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-O)
Launch Vehicle: Delta IV
Launch Pad: 37-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Date: No earlier than April 28, 2009
Launch Time: 6:24 - 7:24 p.m. EDT

The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or
GOES-O, arrived at Kennedy Space Center on March 3. It was shipped
from its manufacturing plant in El Segundo, Calif., aboard an Air
Force C-17 cargo plane.

The satellite, developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, was transported to the Astrotech
facility in Titusville, Fla.

On March 4, technicians removed the satellite from its carrier and
placed it on a test stand to begin approximately six weeks of final
testing of the imaging system, instrumentation, communications and
power systems.

On Feb. 25, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV core vehicle was
erected at Launch Complex 37. The two solid rocket boosters were
attached on Feb. 27 and Feb. 28. The spacecraft is scheduled to be
transported to the launch pad on April 14 and integrated with the
Delta rocket the following day.

Boeing Launch Services is responsible for the launch of the GOES-O
mission, NASA's Launch Services Program is supporting in an advisory
role.

EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT

Mission: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-O)
Launch Vehicle: Delta IV
Launch Pad: 37-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Date: No earlier than April 28, 2009
Launch Time: 6:24 - 7:24 p.m. EDT

Preparations to prepare the GOES-O weather satellite for launch are
going well and are on schedule. Closeouts of the imager, sounder and
spacecraft optics were finished last week as planned. The star
tracker light shades were also installed and the lenses cleaned.

The spacecraft was placed on a special stand on Sunday for fueling
preparations. The loading of hydrazine currently is scheduled for
March 30. Mating GOES-O to the Delta IV payload attach fitting is
planned for April 3 and will be followed by encapsulation into the
fairing on April 6. The move to Launch Complex 37 for mating to the
Delta IV is scheduled for April 14.

At Launch Complex 37, checkout of the Delta IV and associated
prelaunch preparations are also running on schedule. The "wet dress
rehearsal," a countdown dress rehearsal with the rocket fully fueled,
is currently planned to occur on April 8.

Boeing Satellite System built the GOES-O spacecraft with the launch
service being provided to Boeing by United Launch Alliance. The NASA
Launch Services Program at Kennedy is supporting the launch in an
advisory role. NASA spacecraft project management for GOES-O is the
responsibility of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. After launch,
once Boeing and NASA have completed on-orbit checkout and the
spacecraft is operational, it will be turned over to NOAA.

dernières nouvelles:

Mission: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-O)
Launch Vehicle: Delta IV
Launch Pad: Launch Complex 37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Date: No Earlier Than June 26, 2009
Launch Window: TBD

At Launch Complex 37, Delta IV checkout and launch preparations
continue. Tanker trucks delivered liquid hydrogen to storage tanks at
the pad in preparation for launch.

The redesign of the linear shape charge, part of the launch vehicle
flight termination system, is making good progress.

A partial tanking test to verify launch vehicle instrumentation will
be performed today.

At the Astrotech Space Operations Facility, the GOES-O spacecraft is
enclosed in the payload fairing. There is a cool dry purge within the
fairing, and the spacecraft remains in a good state of health. A
charge is also being maintained on the batteries. GOES-O will depart
from Astrotech for Launch Complex 37 on June 7 and will be mated with
the Delta IV rocket on June 8.

NASA has contracted with Boeing to build and launch the GOES-O
spacecraft. The NASA Launch Services Program at Kennedy is supporting
the launch in an advisory role. NASA spacecraft project management
for GOES-O is the responsibility of NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center. After launch, once Boeing and NASA have completed on-orbit
checkout and the spacecraft is operational, it will be turned over to
NOAA.

GOES-O WEATHER SATELLITE LAUNCH SCRUBBED, RESET FOR JUNE 27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla - The GOES-O launch team will try again Saturday,
June 27, to launch the Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellite-O.

Friday's scheduled launch of a Delta IV rocket carrying the GOES-O
weather satellite was scrubbed at 6:58 p.m. EDT because of
thunderstorms within 10 miles of Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Forecasters are calling for a 40 percent chance of favorable weather
Saturday. The one-hour launch window runs from 6:14 p.m. to 7:14 p.m.

NASA Television's launch commentary will begin at 4:30 p.m. and
conclude about 30 minutes after liftoff. For NASA TV downlink
information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

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