WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

The GOES-L weather satellite, aboard the trailer, is moved into a building at Astrotech in Titusville for testing of the imaging system, instrumentation, communications and power systems. The satellite, to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) aboard an Atlas II rocket in March or April, is the fourth of a new advanced series of geostationary weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is a three-axis inertially stabilized spacecraft that will provide pictures and perform atmospheric sounding at the same time. Once launched, the satellite will undergo checkout and provide backup capabilities for the existing, aging GOES East weather satellite.