NASA Selects ULA for GOES-T Mission 

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carries GOES-S satellite for NASA and NOAA in March of 2018. Photo: United Launch Services

NASA has selected United Launch Alliance (ULA) to provide launch services for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) mission, the agency announced on Wednesday. The GOES-T mission aims to provide advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s weather, oceans, and environment, real-time mapping of total lightning activity, and improved monitoring of solar activity, and space weather.

NASA’s total cost to launch GOES-T is approximately $165.7 million, including the launch service and other mission related costs. The GOES-T mission currently is targeted to launch in December 2021 on an Atlas V 541 rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. GOES-T is the third spacecraft in the next generation GOES-R Series of geostationary weather satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

“ULA is pleased once again to be selected to launch a GOES mission and we look forward to working with our mission partners from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for this important launch,” Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO said. “ULA and its heritage vehicles have a long history with the GOES Program and have launched all 17 operational missions to date.”