NASA and NOAA's GOES-P Satellite Successfully Launched

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The latest Geostationary Operational
Environmental Satellite, or GOES-P, lifted off Thursday aboard a
Delta IV rocket at 6:57 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 37 at the
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The new National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite joins four other similar
spacecraft to improve weather forecasting and monitoring of
environmental events.

Approximately four hours and 21 minutes after liftoff, the spacecraft
separated from the launch vehicle. The NASA Deep Space Network
tracking site in Canberra, Western Australia, monitored the
spacecraft separation.

"It's a great day for NASA and NOAA, as this last launch completes the
spacecraft in the GOES N-P series," said Andre Dress, the NASA GOES
Deputy Project Manager. "It means the hard work and dedication from
this team during the past 12-plus years all has been worth it. Our
review of the spacecraft and launch vehicle data shows that GOES-P is
in a nominal transfer orbit with all spacecraft systems functioning
properly."

GOES-P is the third and final spacecraft in the GOES N Series of
geostationary environmental weather satellites. On March 13, GOES-P
is scheduled to be placed in its final orbit and renamed GOES-15.

NOAA has two operational GOES satellites hovering 22,300 miles above
the equator -- GOES-12 in the east and GOES-11 in the west. Each
provides continuous observations of environmental conditions in
North, Central and South America and the surrounding oceans. GOES-13
is being moved to replace GOES-12, which will be positioned to
provide coverage for South America as part of the Global Earth
Observing System of Systems, or GEOSS.

NASA contracted with Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of Seal
Beach, Calif., to build and launch the GOES-P spacecraft.
Approximately 20 days after launch, Boeing Space and Intelligence
Systems will turn engineering control over to NASA. About five months
later, NASA will transfer operational control of GOES-15 to NOAA. The
satellite will be checked out and stored on-orbit. It will be
available for activation should one of the operational GOES
satellites degrade or exhaust their fuel.

NOAA manages the GOES program, establishes requirements, provides all
funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United
States. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.,
procures and manages the design, development and launch of the
satellites for NOAA on a cost reimbursable basis. NASA's Launch
Services Program at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida
supported the GOES-P launch in an advisory role.

For more information about the GOES-P mission and program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/goes-p

For more information about NOAA, visit:

http://www.noaa.gov

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

Source: NASA