GOES-R Launch Successful!

[Ten Key]

NOAA's next generation geostationary weather satellite GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, R Series) is currently scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral tomorrow, November 19th at 5:42 pm EST (10:42 pm UTC) aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket. The long delayed satellite is a significant improvement over the current GOES-N model and carries an imaging system on par with JMA's Himawari 8 satellite. GOES-R is expected to produce 3.5 terabytes of data each day, and should drive forecasting improvements in a number of areas, including hurricanes, tornado warnings and solar weather.

Go Atlas! Go Centaur!  

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2016 by Ten Key
added launch video

[SuperFastJellyfish]

'Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god...you say YES!'  - Winston Zeddemore

Thanks for the heads up, Ten Key!

Edited November 19, 2016 by SuperFastJellyfish

[AlphaKerman]

Just to let you guys know, GOES R will use one of the most reliable spacecraft bus, the Lockheed A2100. And it's also the same bus that will be used for the next generation GPS (GPS III) satellites 

Wishes all the best 

[Phineas Freak]

Let's hope that the BT-4 thruster will do it's job correctly this time...

[Ten Key]

7 hours ago, Phineas Freak said:

Let's hope that the BT-4 thruster will do it's job correctly this time...

NOAA doesn't seem too worried about the thruster . . .it looks like GOES-R's stationkeeping system can do the job on its own if it has to.

Quote

The apogee kick motor, used to circularize the satellite's orbit at the proper altitude, is similar to those used on the Navy's Mobile User Objective System-5 (MUOS-5) satellite, the Intelsat 33e communications satellite, and the Air Force's Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Satellite-3 (SBIRS GEO-3).  One of these motors failed on MUOS-5, which was launched on June 24.  The malfunction stranded the satellite in a useless orbit. (It looks like that orbit has now been mostly corrected)   Another motor failed on Intelsat 33e, launched on August 24, but that satellite is capable of using another on-board propulsion system (for stationkeeping) to raise the orbit; it is expected to reach its correct position in December.  Last month, the Air Force decided to delay the launch of SBIRS GEO-3 to ensure its apogee motor is functional.

NOAA's GOES-R program manager Greg Mandt said that NOAA is not concerned about the GOES-R apogee motor.  First, he credited NASA, which serves as NOAA's procurement agent for satellites, with having the foresight to ensure there are no single point failures.  If the apogee motor fails, the satellite can use its stationkeeping engines to reach the correct orbit.  Instead of two weeks, it would take four weeks to raise the orbit.  Expending the fuel required to do that would shorten the satellite's lifetime from 20 years to 18 years, still more than enough to cover its mission.  He added that NASA and NOAA also do not see the same problems with this motor that occurred with the others.

http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/news/revolutionary-goes-r-weather-satellite-ready-for-launch-apogee-motor-no-concern

[Ten Key]

Stream is up now on NASA TV. Launch window is 1 hour, from 5:42 pm to 6:42 pm EST (10:42 to 11:42 pm UTC)

[VaPaL]

6min hold due to an anomaly

SpaceVids.tv is also streaming on YT
 

 

[VaPaL]

Reason for the delay elaborated b the YT chat LOL 

[insert_name]

Current earliest possible launch at 6:12 EST

Edited November 19, 2016 by insert_name

[AlphaKerman]

15 minutes ago, VaPaL said:

Reason for the delay elaborated b the YT chat LOL 

I thought they are setting for action group 

[VaPaL]

2 minutes ago, AlphaKerman said:

I thought they are setting for action group 

I personally think they are changing the fairings settings

Another 5min delay

Edited November 19, 2016 by VaPaL
Semantics

[insert_name]

Live stream on spaceflight now is a black screen.

[VaPaL]

Just now, insert_name said:

Live stream on spaceflight now is a black screen.

Go to the YT one I posted, it's ok

[insert_name]

And we are now waiting till 6:22

[Ten Key]

Controllers reporting anomaly was a false sensor reading. But now there's a "range issue". 

[AlphaKerman]

Cool view of GOES R's Atlas V umbilicals 

[gogozerg]

6:27 ...

[VaPaL]

3 minutes ago, Ten Key said:

Controllers reporting anomaly was a false sensor reading. But now there's a "range issue". 

Yep, 23:27 UTC now

[insert_name]

And we are on internal power

[VaPaL]

23:32 UTC now, only 2 more delays allowed

[Steel]

23:42 UTC now

[VaPaL]

Just now, Steel said:

23:42 UTC now

Last minute launch

[Ten Key]

Range is go. We're set for launch at the last possible second.

[insert_name]

And we are go for launch

[VaPaL]

All system go!