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NASA/NOAA GOES-O: Days Before Launch
Voice on speaker
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: Hi, I am Silvia with NASA Goddard TV and we are here at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This is the Air Force Station
Launch Pad 37. It's very exciting, we are going all the way up to the Delta IV rocket next to the fairing. In a few days this rocket is going to carry the GOES-O satellite into its orbit. So, let's go up
and find out a little bit more about this launch vehicle and what's going on in a few days.
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: I am here with Charles Maloney, he is the Boeing Program Manager for the GOES N-P mission. So, where are we now and what's happening in a few days.
Charlie Maloney / GOES N-P Program Manager: We are at the Delta launch complex 37 on the 8th floor and we are right next to the spacecraft's fairing. So the spacecraft is tucked safely away in here behind us.
Two days from now when you get to launch day, this whole tower will separate and move away from the rocket so it has a clear path to launch.
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: Why is GOES-O launching on a Delta IV rocket; is there anything special about this launch vehicle?
Charlie Maloney / GOES N-P Program Manager: So, what's special about this rocket is that it puts us into a very high orbit, which saves fuel for the spacecraft. This extra fuel translates directly into extra years of the spacecrafts, so the nation will be able to use this spacecraft for about 50 percent longer than it wouldon other rockets.
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: Tell me a little bit about the geosynchronous orbit
What does that mean?
Charlie Maloney / GOES N-P Program Manager: Well, the GOES-O orbit is called the geosynchronousorbit and what's special about that is that it allows the spacecraft to remain stationary over one spot of the Earth. With that stationarylocation, it can achieve the most accurate pictures of the Earth to be able to track the sever weather that this spacecraft is designed to do.
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: As a program manager you must be very excited about the upcoming launch.
Charlie: It is really a tremendous feeling of excitement and anticipation. The launch vehicle is ready now, the spacecraft is ready; in just two days we are finally going to be able to put it into orbit and be able to demonstrate the performance of this outstanding spacecraft so the team is very excited.
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: So, next to me is Pat Jasanis, Boeing systems engineer. So, Pat, what is your role on the GOES-O project.
Pat Jasanis/Boeing Systems Engineer: Here at the launch site, I am the spacecraft director so I am responsible for getting the satellite prepared in preparation for launch.
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: What are some of the things that happen behind the scenes prior to launch.
Pat Jasanis/Boeing Systems Engineer: So in the last couple of days, we have charged the batteries to prepare them for the launch day, bringing them up to the flight levels of battery charge and then yesterday we completed our full up launch count down rehearsal all the way trhough the script.
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: So, why is the GOES mission important. Pat: So, the GOES mission is important for many reasons to the United States, providing weather forecasting saving lives and property, to give us advanced warning of when severe weather is going to occur such as hurricanes and GOES-O is only going to help improve that.
Silvia Stoyanova/NASA Goddard TV Producer: So, it looks like the GOES-O mission has a critical role in helping predict sever weather and it actually saves lives.
For more information about the mission, for some cool animations and video, visit www.nasa.gov/GOES-O
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