WATCH LIVE: Falcon Heavy Launch of GOES-U Satellite Set Today at 5:16 p.m. From Kennedy Space Center

two-hour launch window opens at 5:16 p.m. ET

ABOVE VIDEO: Watch the launch of the GOES-U weather-observing and environmental monitoring satellite on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES-U mission, the final addition to the GOES-R series, will help to prepare for two kinds of weather — Earth and space weather.

This will be the first launch for all three first stage boosters supporting the mission. Following booster separation, the two side boosters will land at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

BREVARD COUNTY • KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA – SpaceX is targeting Tuesday from Brevard County for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite weather satellite for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The two-hour launch window opens at 5:16 p.m. ET. A backup opportunity is available at the same time on Wednesday, June 26 if needed.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on Space Coast Daily about one hour prior to liftoff.

The GOES-U satellite will orbit above the Earth’s equator at approximately 35,700 km (22,236 mi) observing weather patterns in the contiguous USA, Central and South America, and Atlantic Ocean. GOES-U is part of NOAA’s most sophisticated GOES series and will assist weather forecasters and climate researchers with real-time high-resolution imagery, earlier detection of severe weather that could save lives, and tropical cyclone forecasts.

GOES-U also carries a suite of space weather instruments that will be used to detect solar storms early and help predict their possible impacts.

The GOES-U mission will be the 10th flight of Falcon Heavy, which has previously launched missions for NASA, the U.S. government, and commercial customers.

This will be the first launch for all three first stage boosters supporting the mission. Following booster separation, the two side boosters will land at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Similar Stories