Megan Cruz/NASA Communications: In just about 40 minutes, this United Launch
Alliance Atlas five rocket will launch GOES-T into space. The satellite will continue nearly
50 years of protecting people and property from severe and potentially deadly storms.
Welcome and thank you for joining us here at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I’m NASA's
Megan Cruz, the rocket’s right there on the pad behind me, and this is Kevin Fryar - he's
with NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Great to have you here, Kevin.
Kevin Fryar/NOAA GOES-R Chief of Staff: Great to be here, and thank you for having me.
Cruz: It's kind of cold, though. A little windy.
Fryar: A little windy. Absolutely. Cruz: I think that's going to be the
biggest concern for the launch today. But so far we are 80% go, so I hope that we can
see this thing launch today. Fryar: That's great news.
Cruz: Kevin is here because GOES-T is a NOAA mission. NASA and NOAA have been
launching GOES satellites since 1975, right? Fryar: Yeah, it's an amazing relationship that
we've been able to have with NASA over the past 50 years. The one thing we can say is that we've
actually saved lives as a result of that. We've also obviously moved the science forward with
advanced satellites. But for the most part, what we like to hang
our hat on is that we save lives. Cruz: Yeah, GOES-T is the third in a
series called GOES-R. You know, you're the chief of staff of that program. Can
you tell us a little bit about that series? Fryar: Sure. Within the program, we like to say
that not only can we provide you with the big picture, but we can also read the fine print.
Again, being one of the most sophisticated satellites in the geostationary orbit,
our capabilities are basically to provide you with a constant view of the Earth. In our case,
we're able to look at half of the globe – in doing so, we're also able to inform you on
the environmental changes over time. Cruz: So, GOES-T is going to be looking
at what happens here on Earth in terms of terrestrial weather, but also space weather?
Fryar: Right, that's another reason why we're incredibly excited about this package that we'll
be able to launch today. Not only are we improving what we can see on Earth,
but also what affects us from space Cruz: And, space weather does really affect us – I
learned that while I was researching this mission, so I'm interested to hear more about that,
and we will learn more about it later in this broadcast. Now GOES stands for “Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellites.” “Geostationary” refers to where and how
the satellite will orbit the Earth. So, this might be a little difficult to understand unless you see
it right – so this is why we brought some props here today. Kevin, let's start off by just talking
about how you determine a satellite’s orbit. Fryar: So, it's really determined by its overall
role, right? What is the job of that particular satellite? So, in the case of polar orbiters,
they typically will rotate along the poles, and their job is basically to image the entire planet
as it planet rotates underneath it. So, there is there is a time frame for which they can
provide you a global image. And so again, in a low-Earth orbit, that is why you'll see
those particular satellites used. Cruz: But the geostationary orbit, it has to be in
a fixed place in the sky at all times, right? Fryar: Correct. And actually, to achieve that,
you have to be 22,000 miles above the planet. And as a result, so it can actually spin with
the Earth as it continues to rotate. So relative to your position on Earth, you will always see
this particular satellite in its place. Cruz: So, that's why we say it will keep
continuous watch over the Western Hemisphere with a second GOES satellite, right?
Fryar: Absolutely. So, between the two of them, they'll be able to cover this portion
of the hemisphere – we're talking about from Western Africa all the way to New Zealand.
Cruz: Alright, and GOES-T will reach that geostationary orbit on March 12. And now
let's take a closer look at the satellite – GOES-T is the size of a small school bus and weighs over
6,000 pounds. It has a five-panel solar array, which you see there – it's the one that's kind
of swinging out. They'll produce more than 5000 watts of energy, which is the same amount needed
to power your home’s central AC system. GOES-T has six advanced instruments that can analyze weather
hazards and environmental conditions. The plan is for GOES-T to replace one of two GOES satellites
already in orbit that together protect more than 1 billion people in the Western Hemisphere.