NOAA-N Prime meteo-satellite ready to launch

04 February 2009, 9:15am

2009-02-04 - Prelaunch testing, performed on February 2 at the US Vanderberg air-force base, confirmed the readiness of Delta II carrier vehicle and NOAA-N Prime meteo-satellite to the forthcoming launch. Operations to insert the last of TIROS (Television Infrared Observational Satellites) series satellite into sun-synchronous orbit to the benefit of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is scheduled on February 4. In case of successful launch the satellite will get index NOAA-19.

Currently operating polar orbiting satellites (NOAA-15/16/17 and 18), as well as the military DMSP meteo-satellite of Block-5D2/3 series) are enough for information support both for the US and for all other world countries that receive NOAA satellites’ data for free. However, the new spacecraft will enable to improve the weather forecast and climate research work quality in general.

Satellite launch has been delayed on several occasions; in September 2003 the technicians dropped and damaged NOAA-N Prime during vehicle rotation from vertical into horizontal position. Upon completion of repair work the launch was scheduled on March 2008, but was scrubbed again almost for a year due to arrears in the construction of the first new NPOESS generation environmental satellite (National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System), which will be put into operation in 2013.

ScanEx RDC specialists configure the firmware to receive NOAA-N Prime data in HRPT format to its «Alice -SC» small-aperture stations.

ScanEx RD Centre Moscow

Geo: International