NOAA's GOES-U satellite (left) and NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building (right) are both lit up at night. GOES-U is a white cylindrical object and the VAB is a tall, square building.NASA/Ben Smegelsky On June 14, 2024, NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) last Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-U, started its journey from the Astrotech Space Operations facility to the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

GOES-U is the final weather-observing and environmental monitoring satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R Series. GOES-U will enhance meteorologists’ ability to provide advanced weather forecasting and warning capabilities. It also will improve detection and monitoring of space weather hazards using a new compact coronagraph instrument.

Get updates on the GOES blog.

Image Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

On the GOES