Weather Research Station Joins Two Others In Polar Orbit

The third time WAS the charm for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The Delta II booster carrying the NOAA-N Prime research satellite lifted off early Friday morning from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The countdown proceeded smoothly throughout the night, and up to T-minus zero at 2:22 am Pacific time. Neither the spacecraft nor the United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle experienced any technical issues, and the weather conditions remained favorable.

NOAA-N Prime -- also known as NOAA-19 -- joins NOAA-18 and one European environmental satellite already in polar orbit. NOAA-Prime carries seven scientific instruments, including two search and rescue instruments and a data recording system.

Unique with this satellite is a new data collection system that will relay meteorological, oceanographic data – even track migration patterns of wildlife – to help researchers improve their study of Earth’s environment.

Data from NOAA-19 will support several NOAA programs, including weather analysis and forecasting, climate research, and detection of forest fires and volcanic eruptions.

NOAA operates two types of satellite systems for the United States -- geostationary and polar-orbiting. Geostationary satellites constantly monitor the Western Hemisphere from around 22,240 miles above the Earth, and polar-orbiting satellites circle the Earth providing global information from approximately 540 miles above the Earth.

As ANN reported, the first targeted launch attempt Wednesday was scrubbed, when a launch pad gaseous nitrogen pressurization system failed. Engineers commenced immediate repairs to that system, in hopes of launching the satellite Thursday... but then a pad-mounted air conditioning compressor, which supplies cold, dry air under the payload fairing surrounding the sensitive satellite, also failed.

FMI: www.nasa.gov, www.noaa.gov