New weather satellite launched into space

COLUMBUS, Mississippi (WCBI) – A new weather satellite was launched into space Tuesday.

NOAA’S GOES-T is the third satellite in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R series. There is a total four advanced geostationary weather satellites in this series. GOES-T satellite lifted off on March 1, 2022, aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

GOES-T will track weather hazards that could possibly affect the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii and Alaska such as lightning, wildfires, Pacific Ocean-based storms, and dense fog. Solar activity and space weather will also be monitored to provide early warnings of disruptions to power grids, communications and navigation systems.

Once GOES-T remains in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth for two weeks, it will be renamed to GOES-18. By early 2023 it is expected to replace GOES-17 if it all six instruments are functioning properly and it passes the full checkout. What we will know as GOES-18 will be directly connected to NOAA’S NWS computer models to help meteorologists with forecasting and predicting extreme weather events. GOES-18 will work in connection with GOES-16; together, these two satellites will be able to observe the west coast of Africa to New Zealand and from Alaska to Antarctica.

Avaionia Smith
WCBI Weather Intern