GOES-R/GOES-16: A Powerful Weather Satellite in Pictures

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Photo Opp

NOAA

Two of a Feather

NOAA

GOES-R (left) and GOES-S in a clean room at Lockheed Martin, where they were built. This photo was taken just before GOES-R was shipped to Kennedy Space Center in Florida in August to prepare for a November 2016 launch. GOES-S will undergo environmental testing soon and is scheduled for launch in mid-2018.

Hurry Up and Wait

NOAA/NASA

GOES-R lingers in a clean room at Astrotech Space Operations after its August 22, 2016 delivery from Colorado. Over the next 60 days, the satellite will face preparations for encapsulation on top of the rocket that will take it to geostationary orbit, more than 22,000 miles above Earth!

Unveiling the Future

NOAA/NASA

Team members expose the GOES-R in a clean room at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, after being delivered on August 22, 2016 from Colorado. The satellite will now prepare for two months of steps toward encapsulation on top of the Atlas V Centaur rocket that will take it to geostationary orbit.

Shakin' It Up

Lockheed Martin Corp.

The GOES-R weather satellite, on a shaker table at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado, in December 2015, will undergo vibration testing to simulate the stresses experienced during launch and locates structural weaknesses.

Christine Lunsford
Christine Lunsford
Producer and Contributing Writer

Christine Lunsford joined the Space.com team in 2010 as a freelance producer and later became a contributing writer, covering astrophotography images, astronomy photos and amazing space galleries and more. During her more than 10 years with Space.com, oversaw the site's monthly skywatching updates and produced overnight features and stories on the latest space discoveries. She enjoys learning about subjects of all kinds.