Latest news with #GOES-U
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Florida hurricane season: Science behind satellite images of tropical storm sizes
To us here on Earth, most of us never give a second thought to satellites, which may appear like small shining stars among many in the night sky – if they appear at all. But as hurricane season approaches in Florida, satellites will get a detailed view of our planet from far away. From all the way up in orbit, the spacecrafts provide a critical tool for scientists and other officials to monitor the development of tropical storms and keep the public informed about incoming danger. While hurricane season doesn't begin until June 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has already started its daily tropical outlooks – highlighting areas showing potential for tropical development within about a week's time. That means its National Hurricane Center will turn to its fleet of orbital satellites for data, which can keep an eye on tropical storms much more effectively than land-based observations alone. First introduced in 1975, geostationary satellites have become a standard instrument for weather forecasting, especially during the Atlantic hurricane season, win runs June 1 to Nov. 30 every year. Technology has greatly improved in the decades since, enabling the satellites to relay data faster back to Earth while transmitting better quality images and storm detection details. Geostationary satellites orbit Earth at a speed allowing them to stay fixed over the same area of the planet so they can continuously monitor a tropical storm and its development. NOAA is responsible for the GOES satellites that are constantly monitoring Earth for weather threats. The latest among them, the GOES-U satellite, launched in June 2024 from Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. The GOES-U satellite – Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U – is designed to not only enable earlier storm detection, but also give forecasters more time to warn the public. Images from the GOES satellites reach NOAA at about five-minute intervals. But the next generation of satellites the agency is planning − GeoXO − will see the forecasting capabilities improve even further. The GOES-U satellite was due to become operational in spring 2025 after undergoing a test period in fall 2024. The last in NOAA's current series of satellites known as GOES-R − named after the first satellite of the series − the satellite is improved over previous iterations to detect not only a weather system's structure but its exact location. Those capabilities should prove crucial during hurricane season, when GOES-U and other satellites will play a critical role in Florida's early warning system, Michael Brennan, director of the NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, previously told FLORIDA TODAY, a USA TODAY Network newspaper. "Satellite imagery is our first line of defense against hurricanes," Brennan said. "It's how we monitor systems that develop, it's how we estimate how strong they are before we can fly an aircraft into them." It's not just satellites that can monitor hurricanes from high in the sky. NASA's International Space Station, which orbits Earth from around 250 miles high, also routinely captures imagery of tropical storms and hurricanes that provide a striking bird's-eye view. For instance, as Hurricane Milton moved in on Florida in October 2024, the U.S space agency released photos and a timelapse video showing the eye of the storm as it churned and swirled its way toward the coast. External cameras on the International Space Station first captured a glimpse of the gathering tempest Oct. 7 while orbiting above Florida. At the time, the Category 5 storm was packing winds of 175 mph as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico, later renamed by the U.S. government as the Gulf of America. Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network This article originally appeared on Florida Today: What does a hurricane look like from space? Satellites keep an eye
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites to orbit, loses Falcon 9 booster after landing (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. SpaceX launched a batch of 21 Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast on Sunday night (March 2). The Falcon 9 rocket flying the mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:24 p.m. ET (0224 GMT on March 3), carrying the Starlink 12-20 mission — which included 13 satellites with direct-to-cell capability — to low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth a little more than eight minutes after liftoff. The booster, known by the designation B1086, touched down in the Atlantic Ocean on SpaceX's "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the coast of Florida. However, that booster was lost shortly after landing. Booster 1086 missions: GOES-U | Maxar 3 | 3 Starlink missions "Following the successful landing, an off-nominal fire in the aft end of the rocket damaged one of the booster's landing legs, which resulted in it tipping over," SpaceX wrote in a mission description. "While disappointing to lose a rocket after a successful mission, the team will use the data to make Falcon even more reliable on ascent and landing." This was the fifth and final launch for the B1086 booster, which flew three previous Starlink missions, as well as the GOES-U and Maxar 3 missions. The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued its ascent to orbit, where it deployed the 21 Starlink satellites about 65 minutes after liftoff as planned. The new batch of Starlinks adds to SpaceX's growing megaconstellation of space-based broadband satellites, designed to provide high-speed internet access across the globe. This launch marked SpaceX's 26th Falcon 9 mission of 2025, of which 19 have been dedicated to the company's Starlink network. SpaceX currently has more than 7,000 operational Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit, according to a database created by astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who regularly tracks the Starlink constellation.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites to orbit, loses Falcon 9 booster after landing (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. SpaceX launched a batch of 21 Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast on Sunday night (March 2). The Falcon 9 rocket flying the mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:24 p.m. ET (0224 GMT on March 3), carrying the Starlink 12-20 mission — which included 13 satellites with direct-to-cell capability — to low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth a little more than eight minutes after liftoff. The booster, known by the designation B1086, touched down in the Atlantic Ocean on SpaceX's "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the coast of Florida. However, that booster was lost shortly after landing. Booster 1086 missions: GOES-U | Maxar 3 | 3 Starlink missions "Following the successful landing, an off-nominal fire in the aft end of the rocket damaged one of the booster's landing legs, which resulted in it tipping over," SpaceX wrote in a mission description. "While disappointing to lose a rocket after a successful mission, the team will use the data to make Falcon even more reliable on ascent and landing." This was the fifth and final launch for the B1086 booster, which flew three previous Starlink missions, as well as the GOES-U and Maxar 3 missions. The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued its ascent to orbit, where it deployed the 21 Starlink satellites about 65 minutes after liftoff as planned. The new batch of Starlinks adds to SpaceX's growing megaconstellation of space-based broadband satellites, designed to provide high-speed internet access across the globe. This launch marked SpaceX's 26th Falcon 9 mission of 2025, of which 19 have been dedicated to the company's Starlink network. SpaceX currently has more than 7,000 operational Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit, according to a database created by astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who regularly tracks the Starlink constellation.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX sends up Starlink satellites Sunday night, but rocket booster tips over atop drone ship
SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 rocket during Sunday night's Oscars ceremony, sending up another payload of 21 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But after the first-stage booster successfully landed atop a SpaceX drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, a fire in the aft end of the rocket damaged one of the landing legs — and the booster tipped over, SpaceX reported. "While disappointing to lose a rocket after a successful mission, the team will use the data to make Falcon even more reliable on ascent and landing," SpaceX officials said in a Monday morning tweet. Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral The Starlink 12-20 mission lifted off at 9:24 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 40. Sunday's launch marked the Falcon 9 first-stage booster's fifth — and final — flight, the company reported. This booster previously launched GOES-U, Maxar 3 and two Starlink missions. Ten minutes before liftoff, rocket fueling was well underway at the pad. Behind the scenes, SpaceX crews rattled off a list of key countdown milestones before liftoff. T-minus: 7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch. 1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins. 45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies 'go for launch.' 3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start. 0 seconds: Falcon 9 liftoff. Following stage separation, the descending booster returned to Earth for a landing atop the drone ship Just Read the Instructions roughly 250 nautical miles off the Florida coast. Despite the booster mishap, SpaceX confirmed the 21 Starlink satellites successfully deployed. The SpaceX mission marked the 20th orbital rocket launch of the year thus far from Florida's Space Coast. Sunday's prime-time liftoff occurred during stellar meteorological conditions. The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron had forecasted a 90% chance of "go for launch" weather, with liftoff winds and cumulus clouds representing slim threats. Looking past Sunday's liftoff, SpaceX is targeting early Wednesday morning for another Falcon 9 launch on a Starlink mission, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows. The 4½-hour launch window extends from 1 a.m. to 5:31 a.m. Live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage kicks off 90 minutes before liftoff at Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launches Starlink satellites Sunday; booster tips over on ship
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
WATCH: SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites from Florida space force station
COCOA BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — SpaceX had a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch included 13 satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities. This was the fifth flight for the first stage of this mission. Previously this mission has launched GOES-U, Maxar 3, and two additional Starlink missions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
