Photo story: NOAA's GOES-R satellite arrives in Florida

See NOAA’s next generation of geostationary weather satellites prepared for its November launch

More Photos

Photo story: Fighting fire with forecasts
Photo story: So how do you maintain a huge weather buoy network?
Getting ready for the Atlantic hurricane season
NOAA team sees Florence and Michael storm surge devastation first-hand
South for the winter: NOAA’s GOES-S satellite arrives in Florida ahead of 2018 launch
View all

More Photos

Photo story: Fighting fire with forecasts
Photo story: So how do you maintain a huge weather buoy network?
Getting ready for the Atlantic hurricane season
NOAA team sees Florence and Michael storm surge devastation first-hand
South for the winter: NOAA’s GOES-S satellite arrives in Florida ahead of 2018 launch
View all

GOES-R arrived in Florida at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center this week. Once launched, the satellite will offer three times more data with four times greater resolution, five times faster than ever before. This means faster and more accurate data for NOAA's National Weather Service. GOES-R will improve hurricane tracking and intensity forecasts, increase thunderstorm and tornado warning lead time, and enhance space weather monitoring. 

NOAA satellites enable our meteorologists to issue forecasts that save lives and protect communities and property -- before and during storms. These photos show the journey GOES-R made from Colorado to Florida in preparation for launch on November 4 from Cape Canaveral.

 

Technicians prepare to load the GOES-R satellite onto the aircraft in Colorado

The satellite traveled on board a truck from Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, Colorado, to a waiting U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy cargo jet at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado. Moving a 6,000 pound satellite cross country takes a lot of people, trucks, aircraft and patience.
The satellite traveled on board a truck from Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, Colorado, to a waiting U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy cargo jet at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado. Moving a 6,000 pound satellite cross country takes a lot of people, trucks, aircraft and patience. (Michael Starobin, NOAA/NASA)
Download Image

 

Aircraft carrying GOES-R satellite ready for take off

It takes a huge aircraft to move NOAA’s GOES-R satellite – The interior of the aircraft included a semi-truck carrying the GOES-R satellite, as well as the satellite’s ground support equipment.
It takes a huge aircraft to move NOAA’s GOES-R satellite – The interior of the aircraft included a semi-truck carrying the GOES-R satellite, as well as the satellite’s ground support equipment. (Michael Starobin, NOAA/NASA)
Download Image

 

GOES-R arrives in Florida

NOAA’s GOES-R satellite arrives in Florida on a massive U.S. Air Force C-5 aircraft. The aircraft touched down on the same three-mile long runway previously used by NASA’s Space Shuttle. Members of the GOES-R team wait anxiously on the tarmac.
NOAA’s GOES-R satellite arrives in Florida on a massive U.S. Air Force C-5 aircraft. The aircraft touched down on the same three-mile long runway previously used by NASA’s Space Shuttle. Members of the GOES-R team wait anxiously on the tarmac. (Michael Starobin, NOAA/NASA)
Download Image

 

The GOES-R satellite is unloaded from Air Force plane

After unloading the satellite from the aircraft, it is transported to a specially equipped storage facility, where workers will unwrap it, inspect and prepare it for launch. NOAA’s revolutionary GOES-R satellite will enable meteorologists to issue more accurate and timely forecasts and warnings to help save lives and protect communities.
After unloading the satellite from the aircraft, it is transported to a specially equipped storage facility, where workers will unwrap it, inspect and prepare it for launch. NOAA’s revolutionary GOES-R satellite will enable meteorologists to issue more accurate and timely forecasts and warnings to help save lives and protect communities. (Michael Starobin, NOAA/NASA)
Download Image

 

GOES-R rolls onto the runway

Technicians carefully unload NOAA’s GOES-R, which weighs more than 6,000 pounds – about the same size as a pilot whale. More accurate, faster data and more precise imagery means when a hurricane is bearing down on our coastlines, officials can make better decisions about evacuations.
Technicians carefully unload NOAA’s GOES-R, which weighs more than 6,000 pounds – about the same size as a pilot whale. More accurate, faster data and more precise imagery means when a hurricane is bearing down on our coastlines, officials can make better decisions about evacuations. (Michael Starobin, NOAA/NASA)
Download Image

 

GOES-R is unwrapped and inspected in the clean room

Staff in protective clothing unwrap the GOES-R satellite in the “clean room.” The satellite has many parts that are sensitive to contamination, so engineers and technicians wear special clothing to protect the satellite in a room that is designed to keep it safe until it is encapsulated on top of the rocket for launch.
Staff in protective clothing unwrap the GOES-R satellite in the “clean room.” The satellite has many parts that are sensitive to contamination, so engineers and technicians wear special clothing to protect the satellite in a room that is designed to keep it safe until it is encapsulated on top of the rocket for launch. (Michael Starobin, NOAA/NASA)
Download Image


Stay informed as GOES-R moves closer to launch by visiting the GOES-R mission page and NOAA's Satellite and Information Service.

More Photos

Photo story: Fighting fire with forecasts
Photo story: So how do you maintain a huge weather buoy network?
Getting ready for the Atlantic hurricane season
NOAA team sees Florence and Michael storm surge devastation first-hand
South for the winter: NOAA’s GOES-S satellite arrives in Florida ahead of 2018 launch
View all