NASA has just launched a multipurpose satellite into orbit that will not only improve weather forecasts, but will also be used as a communications relay and aid in search and rescue operations.
The GOES-P satellite , mounted on a Delta IV rocket, departed from the US Air Force base in Cape Canaveral (Florida) this Friday morning. The launch of the device, weighing 3.1 tons , was delayed due to the presence of clouds and high winds in the area.
The satellite will join a fleet that rotates in a stationary orbit more than 35,000 kilometers from the surface, and whose mission is to monitor the climate on Earth , follow the development of storms and improve weather forecasts. GOES satellites monitor rapid atmospheric changes responsible for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and other dangerous situations. In addition, GOES-P will detect the temperatures of the oceans and continents, monitor space weather, transmit communications and provide support in search and rescue operations, according to NASA.
The first two satellites of this next-generation series, GOES-N and GOES-O, were launched in orbit in 2006 and 2009 respectively.
