KSC-05pd-0282

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Arrival of the first and second stages of the Boeing Delta IV rocket at Launch Pad 37-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is seen from the gantry. The Delta IV was transferred from the Horizontal Integration Facility where the two stages were mated. The Delta IV is scheduled to launch the GOES-N satellite May 4. The satellite is the first of three for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that will provide continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N 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. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is responsible for development of the satellite and testing of the spacecraft and its instruments.