WASHINGTON - The two main components of NOAA's GOES-R Satellite have recently come together. The System Module and Core Module subassemblies were successfully mated and now form the GOES-R spacecraft. This is an important milestone in the development of the satellite, as it merges together the elements that form both the 'brain' and the 'body' of the satellite that will be launched in early 2016. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites - R Series (GOES-R) is the next generation of geostationary Earth-observing systems.

This process brings together these two primary subassemblies of the satellite before the GOES-R spacecraft begins environmental testing later this year. More than 70 electronics boxes mounted within the System Module provide the functionality to operate the spacecraft and its six instruments. The Core Module forms the main central structure of the satellite and carries the propellant needed to maneuver the spacecraft after it is separated from the launch vehicle and operational in geostationary orbit.

With the mate successfully completed, the GOES-R Series Program team will move forward with the integration of the Earth Pointing Platform (EPP) onto the spacecraft. The EPP will support the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instruments, as well as the star trackers and inertial measurement units used to precisely measure the attitude and location of the satellite in space.

NASA, the NOAA, and Lockheed Martin continue to make progress toward a 2015 launch of the GOES-R satellite. In April 2012, NASA signed a launch contract with ULA to launch the satellite. A month later, the satellite completed its critical design review. Lockheed Martin powered on the service module for the first time in October 2013, and installed the SUVI ultraviolet imager in April 2014. In May the system module and propulsion module were completed. Mating the system module and core module is the latest development.

It is unlikely that any new large-scale meteorological satellite development programs will begin during the next decade due to the tight budget environment and expense of GOES-R, as well as the polar-orbiting JPSS program. Therefore, Forecast International expects that a contract option for two additional GOES satellites with Lockheed Martin will be exercised. Four GOES-R series satellites will be produced during the forecast period. Replacements for these satellites will likely not be needed for quite some time.

Source: NASA
Associated URL: http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/goes-r-satellite-brain-and-body-are-mated/
Author: B. Ostrove, Analyst