KSC-05pd-0226

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -In the Horizontal Integration Facility, technicians complete the mating of the GOES-N_Boeing Delta IV second stage (left) to the first stage. The Boeing Delta IV rocket will be used for the 2005 launching of the GOES-N weather satellite for NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The first in a series of three advanced weather satellites that include GOES-O and GOES-P, the GOES-N will provide continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. It will provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric “triggers” of severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes. When these conditions develop, GOES-N will be able to monitor storm development and track their movements. Launch of GOES-N is scheduled for May 4 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.