NASA Launches Solar & Earth Storm-Sensing Satellite (Also Detects Irony)
NASA's latest super-sophisticated storm-sensor, the GOES-O, succeeded before it ever left Earth - detecting thunderstorms before being launched. Technically it "detected" them by being delayed, as wimpy non-Michael-Bay NASA scientists don't believe in firing massive Delta IV rockets through lightning bolts, but now it's in orbit and keeping an electronic eye out for storms - both surface and solar.
The Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites is a network of weather-watchers with the GOES-O being the fourteenth. Construction and launch of the latest satellite cost a cool half-billion (including the half-million kilogram launch vehicle), but the payback is priceless: up to the minute environmental information on Earth.
Much of the data is planet-centric, ranging from almost-live coverage of weather and the formation of storm-systems to wider-ranging scans covering 60% of the planet. Other instruments keep an eye on larger targets, such as solar storm systems which could disrupt communications or affect the environment. GOES is part of mankind's ever-expanding ability to actually see the big picture - all we have to do now is convince everyone to look at it.
The Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites is a network of weather-watchers with the GOES-O being the fourteenth. Construction and launch of the latest satellite cost a cool half-billion (including the half-million kilogram launch vehicle), but the payback is priceless: up to the minute environmental information on Earth.
Much of the data is planet-centric, ranging from almost-live coverage of weather and the formation of storm-systems to wider-ranging scans covering 60% of the planet. Other instruments keep an eye on larger targets, such as solar storm systems which could disrupt communications or affect the environment. GOES is part of mankind's ever-expanding ability to actually see the big picture - all we have to do now is convince everyone to look at it.
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- pjacobs51
- added this
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I'll bet every one of those sattelites also has at least one camera that certain unnamed agencies has access to.
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Hi there, just to let you know I removed the "tech" tag from this story because it was already tagged "science" and "space", both great fits! Thanks!
-sarah -
Just wondering how much if at all these satellites are actually interfering with our weather patterns to begin with...
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- JanforGore
- 5 months ago
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The Bush Admin. practicaly knocked all funding out for the weather satellites, which would give us just what GOES O is doing.... up to date weather patterns and a way to watch the melting ice caps and dust storms that blow across continents.
Glad to see this.
