DTN News: Boeing Hands Over GOES-P Satellite To NASA For Final Testing

DTN News: Boeing Hands Over GOES-P Satellite To NASA For Final Testing Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) EL SEGUNDO, Calif., - April 7, 2010: Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it transferred control of the third Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-P) to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on March 24 to begin on-orbit verification testing. GOES-P -- which was officially renamed GOES-15 after reaching geosynchronous orbit -- will serve as an on-orbit spare to the current GOES constellation and support enhanced Earth observation and weather monitoring for more than 50 percent of the planet, including the continental United States. “GOES-15 is on its way to join the fleet and begin fulfilling NOAA’s mission to support advanced weather monitoring and forecasting, which can save lives and prevent millions of dollars in property damage,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. “Some of the newest Boeing-built GOES satellites are being deployed now to serve a vital national role. GOES-13, in fact, is in the process of being activated as the operational East Coast satellite in time for this year’s hurricane season.” GOES-15 launched on March 4 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on a Delta IV rocket procured by Boeing Launch Services. Following launch, the GOES-15 satellite performed its orbit-raising sequence over a period of approximately two weeks, executing a series of maneuvers that fired the satellite engine and elevated the spacecraft to its on-orbit test location at 89.5 degrees west longitude. With health and safety checks completed on the satellite, Boeing is ready to begin verification testing with the NASA space operations team in the NOAA Satellite Operations Control Center in Suitland, Md. Several post-launch milestones will occur during on-orbit testing, including: the launch and orbit-raising data review a contingency operations readiness review testing and verification of the spacecraft’s instruments and communications services. GOES-15 took its first public high-resolution photo of Earth on April 6. After approximately five months of on-orbit testing, GOES-15 will be moved to its on-orbit storage location at 105 degrees west longitude and officially turned over to NOAA this fall. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Boeing's 3rd GOES Satellite Sends 1st Signals From Space

DTN News: Boeing's 3rd GOES Satellite Sends 1st Signals From Space Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) EL SEGUNDO, Calif., - March 6, 2010: Boeing [NYSE: BA] has received the first on-orbit signals from the third Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) built by Boeing for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The satellite, GOES-P, is healthy and ready to begin thruster firings to move to its on-orbit test location. GOES-P is a Boeing 601 satellite that will provide enhanced Earth-observation and weather-monitoring services. GOES-P launched on a Delta IV rocket at 6:57 p.m. Eastern time on March 4 from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Controllers confirmed initial contact with the spacecraft today at 12:52 a.m. Eastern time at the NASA Deep Space Network Canberra ground station in Australia. Boeing Launch Services procured the vehicle and mission services from United Launch Alliance. "GOES-P's precision imaging and navigation technologies will improve weather forecasting by providing image data that is two to three times more accurately located," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "We look forward to working with NASA and NOAA in the months ahead as GOES-P is tested and deployed as an on-orbit spare that can be called immediately to action, especially during emergencies." GOES-P will be placed in geosynchronous orbit at 89.5 degrees west longitude for approximately five months of on-orbit operational testing. Following NASA and NOAA's acceptance, GOES-P will join GOES-14 (formerly called GOES-O) in storage at 105 degrees west longitude to operate as backups for primary satellites GOES-11 and GOES-13. GOES-13 is in the process of being activated to replace GOES-12. Together, the satellites will improve weather forecasting with sharper vision and longer life and help NOAA's Storm Prediction Center monitor severe weather events. The GOES N-P series represents the newest generation of satellite technology and a significant improvement over earlier environmental systems. The prime instrument on GOES-P, the imager, captures images of the Earth with a resolution accuracy of 1 kilometer from an altitude of 22,240 miles above the Earth's surface. The satellite's highly stable optical bench enables more accurate predictions of storm location and movement by protecting the operational instruments from thermal or motion disruptions. GOES-P also can store enough power to operate during the eclipse season, when there is no sunlight to power its solar array. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Solar X-Ray Imager To Be Launched On NOAA GOES-P Spacecraft

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Solar X-Ray Imager To Be Launched On NOAA GOES-P Spacecraft Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) PALO ALTO, Calif., - March 2, 2010: The Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) instrument, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] at its Space Systems Advanced Technology Center (ATC) is ready for flight. The GOES satellite. Mainly a weather satellite but the X-ray sensor (The SXI instrument) is always pointed at the sun. The Solar X-ray Imager is being developed by the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL). SXI will provide near real-time imaging of the Solar Corona in the spectral range of 6 Å to 60 Å (~0.2 to 2KeV) allowing investigation of solar features such as active regions, magnetic loops and coronal holes. SXI is being developed for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and will fly on the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) N and O satellites. It is anticipated that images from SXI will contribute towards improving our understanding of how the behaviour of the Sun can affect the "space weather" and its subsequent impact on the Earth. LMSAL will be using CCDs developed by Marconi Applied Technologies (formerly EEV) in Chelmsford, UK. LMSAL have placed a subcontract with MSSL both to manage the procurement of these devices and to perform some characterisation on them additional to the characterisation provided by Marconi. The CCD used in the SXI imager is the Marconi CCD 64, some of the key features of which are as follows: 512 x 580 active pixel imaging area; Back illuminated to maximise quantum efficiency in the low energy X-ray region; *16 µm square pixels; *Anti blooming facility to improve the dynamic range by preventing charge spilling into adjacent pixels; *On-chip temperature sensors; *Two output amplifiers (for redundancy); *Dump gate and drain for windowing. Built for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Md., SXI is awaiting launch – scheduled for March 2 – on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-P spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. SXI is one of a suite of instruments that resides on the current generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). “It is enormously satisfying to have our third SXI instrument ready for launch and we look forward to seeing it operating on-orbit,” said George Koerner, SXI program manager at the ATC. “While the other GOES instruments provide near-constant viewing of the Earth, SXI is designed to view the Sun and provide vital information regarding solar activity.” The SXI will be used to aid NOAA and U.S. Air Force personnel in issuing forecasts and alerts of space weather conditions, and in developing a better understanding of Sun-related phenomena that affect the Earth's environment. Turbulent space weather can affect radio communication on Earth, induce currents in electric power grids and long distance pipelines, cause navigational errors in magnetic guidance systems, upset satellite circuitry and expose astronauts to increased radiation. SXI will observe solar flares, coronal mass ejections, coronal holes and active regions in the X-ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum. These features are the dominant sources of disturbances in space weather that lead to, for example, geomagnetic storms. SXI will also examine flare properties, newly emerging active regions, and X-ray bright points on the Sun. SXI will provide continuous, near real-time observation of the Sun's corona, acquiring a full-disk image every minute. The images cover a 0.7 degree field of view with 0.0014 degree pixels. The solar disk, as viewed from Earth, is approximately 0.5 degrees in diameter. By recording solar images every minute, NOAA observers will be able to detect and locate the occurrence of solar flares. This is the name given to the explosive releases of vast amounts of magnetic energy in the solar atmosphere. Since scientists are not yet able to predict the occurrence, magnitude or location of solar flares, it is necessary to continually observe the Sun to know when they are happening. When a flare erupts, it throws out large clouds of ionized, or electrically charged, gas. A small fraction of the cloud is very energetic and can reach the Earth within a few minutes to hours of the flare being observed. These energetic particles pose a hazard to both astronauts and spacecraft. Coronal mass ejections, which are often associated with flares, take several days to reach the Earth. Fast, powerful ejections give rise to geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt radio transmissions and induce large currents in power transmission lines and oil pipelines. They have resulted in large-scale failures of the North American power grid and greatly increased pipeline erosion. SXI also will monitor coronal holes -- persistent sources of high-speed solar wind. As the Sun rotates every 27 days, these sources spray across the Earth like a lawn sprinkler and cause recurring geomagnetic storms. NOAA’s environmental satellite system is composed of two types of satellites: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) for national, regional, short-range warning and “now-casting”; and Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) for global, long-term forecasting and environmental monitoring. Lockheed Martin and its heritage companies built all of the POES satellites going back to the very first weather satellite launch on April 1, 1960, and is currently developing the next generation GOES-R satellite system, with a first launch set for 2015. Both GOES and POES are necessary for providing a complete global weather monitoring system. Both also carry search and rescue instruments to relay signals from people in distress. The ATC has a 47-year-long heritage of spaceborne solar instruments including the Soft X-ray Telescope on the Japanese Yohkoh satellite, the Michelson Doppler Imager on the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, the solar telescope on NASA’s Transition Region and Coronal Explorer, the Solar X-ray Imager on the GOES-N and O environmental satellites, the Focal Plane Package on Hinode and an Extreme Ultraviolet Imager on each of the two spacecraft in NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory. The laboratory also conducts basic research into understanding and predicting space weather and the behavior of the Sun including its impacts on Earth and climate. The ATC is the research and development organization of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC). LMSSC, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs and develops, tests, manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national security and military, civil government and commercial customers. Chief products include human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft; laser radar; ballistic missiles; missile defense systems; and nanotechnology research and development. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

DTN News: Boeing Hands Over GOES-O Satellite To NASA For Final Testing

DTN News: Boeing Hands Over GOES-O Satellite To NASA For Final Testing *Source: DTN News / Boeing

(NSI News Source Info) EL SEGUNDO, Calif., - August 6, 2009: Boeing [NYSE: BA] yesterday August 5, announced that it transferred Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite GOES-O to NASA on July 17, completing the company's third on-orbit satellite handover this year. Image above: Rising above the two lightning towers around the pad, a Delta IV rocket races into the sky with the GOES-O satellite aboard. GOES-O, which has been renamed GOES-14, will undergo approximately five months of on-orbit testing before it is officially accepted for service by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Boeing's first two satellite deliveries of 2009 were the second Wideband Global SATCOM satellite for the U.S. Air Force and the Indostar II/Protostar II satellite for a commercial satellite operator. Both handovers took place on June 15. "It was a busy month for GOES-14, beginning on July 8 with a successful maneuver into geosynchronous orbit and deployment of its solar array," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "The handover of GOES-14 to NASA two days ahead of schedule demonstrates Boeing's continuing commitment to its customers." The active GOES constellation currently consists of GOES-11, GOES-12 and GOES-13 (known as GOES-N before it reached orbit). Once accepted, GOES-14 will join the constellation in a storage orbital position of 105 degrees west longitude. Both GOES-13 and GOES-14 will operate as backup satellites to GOES-11 and GOES-12 and become the primary operational satellites over the next two years. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Boeing, NASA And NOAA Receive 1st Signal From GOES-O Satellite Following Successful Launch

DTN News: Boeing, NASA And NOAA Receive 1st Signal From GOES-O Satellite Following Successful Launch *Sources: DTN News / Boeing Company

(NSI News Source Info) EL SEGUNDO, Calif., - June 29, 2009: The Boeing Company, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have received the first on-orbit signals from GOES-O, indicating that the Earth-observation satellite is healthy and operating normally. Controllers confirmed initial contact with the spacecraft at 12:25 a.m. Eastern time at a ground station on the Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian Ocean. A new weather satellite – one that should bolster hurricane predictions – was scheduled to be launched from Cape Canaveral this evening. Alas, the space shot has been delayed a minimum of two months. Once fully operational, the GOES-O satellite will send back high resolution images of tropical storms (and other severe weather systems).That should help forecasters improve both track and intensity predictions, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. However, the satellite won’t be available to help out the National Hurricane Center this season, center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said. “It will actually be in standby mode,” he said. The $499 million satellite will settle into orbit 22,000 miles above Earth. NOAA, parent agency of the National Hurricane Center, hopes it remain in good working order for the next 10 years.* "We are very pleased to report that GOES-O is performing as planned, and we will continue to support this satellite through handover to NOAA so that it can fulfill its mission of providing critical, life-saving weather information,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "The launch of GOES-O is a testament to the collaborative teaming and commitment of our employees to provide best-of-industry, next-generation environmental systems to NASA and NOAA." GOES-O was launched on a Delta IV rocket yesterday at 6:51 p.m. Eastern time from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Boeing commercial launch business Boeing Launch Services procured the vehicle and mission services from United Launch Alliance. Today's signal acquisition marks the second successful launch in the GOES N-P series and the latest step in enhancing NOAA’s Earth-observation and weather-monitoring capabilities. GOES-O, which is designed for a minimum orbit life of 10 years, will be placed in on-orbit storage and may replace an older GOES satellite in 2010. Together with GOES-13 (formerly GOES N), which launched on May 24, 2006, GOES-O will provide complete coverage of the Western Hemisphere. The three-axis Boeing 601 spacecraft includes an imager that produces visible and infrared images of the Earth’s surface, oceans, cloud cover and storm developments; a multispectral sounder that provides vertical temperature and moisture profiles of the atmosphere; and a solar X-ray imager that monitors the sun’s X-rays for early detection of solar flares. GOES-O also carries space environment monitoring instruments that will measure X-rays and extreme ultraviolet and particle emissions, including solar protons, alpha particles and electrons. The GOES-O communications subsystem also includes a search-and-rescue capability to detect distress signals from ships and airplanes. Boeing built GOES-O for NASA and NOAA at the company's satellite manufacturing facility in El Segundo, which encompasses 1 million square feet of assembly, integration and testing facilities. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

Boeing Ships Next-Generation Weather Satellite GOES-O To Launch Site

Boeing Ships Next-Generation Weather Satellite GOES-O To Launch Site

(NSI News Source Info) EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - March 6, 2009: Boeing and NASA announced March 04, 2009 that the second of three next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) has shipped from Boeing's satellite manufacturing facility in El Segundo, Calif., to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where it will undergo final preparations for launch this spring. Boeing has shipped GOES-O, the second of three next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites being built for NASA, to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where it will launch this spring. The satellite, designated GOES-O, will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV vehicle procured through Boeing's commercial launch business, Boeing Launch Services. GOES-O, a modified three-axis Boeing 601 spacecraft, will join the GOES-13 satellite (formerly called GOES-N) already in orbit.

When operational, these satellites will help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provide more accurate locations of severe storms and other weather phenomena impacting the United States, resulting in more precise weather warnings to the public. "This shipment represents another key milestone toward providing enhanced information and data services to NASA, NOAA, and weather scientists and forecasters worldwide," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "Throughout the years, Boeing has committed to providing best-of-industry systems, and we will rely on four decades of weather and Earth-observation satellite technology leadership to bring GOES-O through launch, rigorous on-orbit testing and, ultimately, reliable and beneficial service to NOAA for years to come." GOES spacecraft operate as a two-satellite constellation in geosynchronous orbit above the equator and observe 60 percent of the Earth. Launched on May 24, 2006, GOES-13 is currently in a storage orbit position and later this year may replace one of two weather satellites that are nearing the end of their on-orbit lives.

GOES-O will be launched as an additional back-up satellite. Designed for 10 years of service, each satellite will measure the Earth's atmosphere, its surface, cloud cover, and solar and geosynchronous space environment while providing a more stable platform for supporting improved imager, sounder and solar X-ray imager instruments.

Upon completion and launch of the third satellite, GOES-P, Boeing will have built a total of eight spacecraft in the nation's GOES satellite series.