1 00:00:11,519 --> 00:00:14,200 Extreme weather is a fact of life. 2 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,960 But the key to saving lives and protecting property is early warnings. 3 00:00:18,970 --> 00:00:24,699 Soon meteorologists will gain a new tool that will revolutionize weather forecasting. 4 00:00:24,699 --> 00:00:30,620 NASA is preparing to launch GOES-R, the first in a series of next-generation Geostationary 5 00:00:30,620 --> 00:00:36,030 Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 6 00:00:36,030 --> 00:00:37,030 Administration 7 00:00:37,030 --> 00:00:40,860 Todd McNamara speaking: The benefits we are seeing with the GOES-R satellite system, the 8 00:00:40,860 --> 00:00:45,270 higher resolution, the more frequent updates, the increasing number of products and the 9 00:00:45,270 --> 00:00:50,500 lightning information is kind of like going from a black and white television system to 10 00:00:50,500 --> 00:00:52,860 a high-definition television system. 11 00:00:52,870 --> 00:00:57,900 State-of-the-art technology and instrumentation on the spacecraft are designed to provide 12 00:00:57,900 --> 00:01:02,980 more timely and accurate weather forecasts, and most importantly, faster warnings. 13 00:01:02,989 --> 00:01:06,640 Todd McNamara: Forecasters all across the nation will have this benefit. 14 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,240 They're going to get that more frequent updates, higher resolution data, and they are going to be 15 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:17,040 able to monitor forest fires, dense fog situations, tornadoes or even tropical 16 00:01:17,049 --> 00:01:20,840 cyclones, and they are going to be able to provide more accurate forecasts. 17 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,880 This new satellite is going to save lives. 18 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:28,279 The GOES-R satellite was manufactured by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, 19 00:01:28,279 --> 00:01:37,209 Colorado, and was delivered to the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space center in Florida on Aug. 22, 2016. 20 00:01:37,209 --> 00:01:42,299 The agency's Launch Services Program has spent years working not just with Lockheed Martin, 21 00:01:42,300 --> 00:01:47,620 but also the spacecraft team at the Goddard Space Flight Center, and United Launch Alliance, 22 00:01:47,630 --> 00:01:52,139 or ULA, who provides the Atlas V rocket to boost it into space. 23 00:01:52,139 --> 00:01:55,649 Diana Calero: We've been working with the ULA team, the spacecraft team, the Lockheed 24 00:01:55,649 --> 00:02:01,869 Martin team, the LSP team for over six years since this has been in the works. 25 00:02:01,869 --> 00:02:02,869 And we have 26 00:02:02,869 --> 00:02:04,310 formed an incredible team." 27 00:02:04,310 --> 00:02:08,539 But before GOES-R begins work in orbit, it must be prepared for launch. 28 00:02:08,539 --> 00:02:13,520 Diana Calero: Since its arrival here at the Kennedy Space Center in August, the 29 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:18,319 GOES-R satellite was transported from the SLF, Shuttle Landing Facility, over to the 30 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,140 Astrotech building over in Titusville where it is being processed in a large high bay." 31 00:02:23,140 --> 00:02:29,220 Ironically, one of the challenges for the GOES-R team was a case of extreme weather. 32 00:02:29,220 --> 00:02:35,580 On Oct. 6 and 7, 2016, the east coast of Florida, including the Kennedy Space Center, was slammed 33 00:02:35,580 --> 00:02:37,600 by Hurricane Matthew. 34 00:02:37,610 --> 00:02:40,970 This required quick work to protect the satellite from possible damage 35 00:02:40,970 --> 00:02:48,860 Omar Baez: It's interesting how a satellite that's supposed to be out hunting hurricanes gets 36 00:02:49,860 --> 00:02:56,650 effected by a hurricane and has caused a delay to its launch." 37 00:02:56,650 --> 00:03:01,580 Once checkouts and processing are completed at the Astrotech facility, GOES-R is 38 00:03:01,580 --> 00:03:07,510 encapsulated in the payload fairing for the trip to space launch complex 41 at Cape Canaveral 39 00:03:07,510 --> 00:03:08,510 Air Force Station. 40 00:03:08,510 --> 00:03:15,450 Diana Calero: Then very slowly, it is transported over ground to the Vertical Integration Facility. 41 00:03:15,450 --> 00:03:17,690 That's where the rocket is waiting. 42 00:03:17,690 --> 00:03:21,590 And the spacecraft is hoisted and carried up on top of the 43 00:03:21,590 --> 00:03:24,730 rocket gets settled on there and bolted down." 44 00:03:24,730 --> 00:03:32,900 Next, the team begins a series of integrated tests between the spacecraft and the vehicle. 45 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:37,660 Finally, on the day before launch, the rocket is ready to be rolled out to the pad. 46 00:03:37,660 --> 00:03:42,490 As always, launch day is filled with tension and anticipation. 47 00:03:42,490 --> 00:03:49,040 Calero: The most exciting part of a launch campaign are the final few minutes prior to launch. 48 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:55,540 Everybody's quiet, everybody's intent on listening on their headsets to the final launch sequence 49 00:03:55,540 --> 00:03:58,790 occurring on an Atlas V rocket. 50 00:03:58,790 --> 00:04:03,210 This has been the culmination of many years of hard 51 00:04:03,210 --> 00:04:07,002 work, of setbacks, of successes and finally we're here. 52 00:04:07,002 --> 00:04:09,420 And when you finally hear the 3, 2, 1, liftoff! 53 00:04:09,420 --> 00:04:12,180 -- It's the most thrilling, exciting, nervous experience 54 00:04:12,180 --> 00:04:16,010 you can have throughout the whole launch campaign." 55 00:04:16,010 --> 00:04:23,130 GOES-R will be placed in a geosynchronous orbit circling at about 22,000 miles above the Earth. 56 00:04:23,130 --> 00:04:28,140 In this orbit, the spacecraft remains over the same point on the western hemisphere, 57 00:04:28,150 --> 00:04:31,710 giving meteorologists a continuous view of the weather. 58 00:04:31,710 --> 00:04:35,659 Baez: At the end of the day, we get rewarded with a beautiful launch 59 00:04:35,659 --> 00:04:36,939 and I think that's just