1
00:00:00,060 --> 00:00:04,070
Narrator: Say you've been observing Earth's weather using GOES satellites for the past 40 years.

2
00:00:04,090 --> 00:00:08,110
and suddenly you realize you need to launch another satellite to keep doing it because it's really important.

3
00:00:08,130 --> 00:00:12,160
naturally, you might think to yourself, "Great, let's just

4
00:00:12,180 --> 00:00:16,230
parts from the previous satellite, launch them into space, and let them do their

5
00:00:16,250 --> 00:00:20,330
thing". Unfortunately that's just not how it works.

6
00:00:20,350 --> 00:00:24,390
Scientists and engineers are always looking for better ways to improve the weather forecast, and for them,

7
00:00:24,410 --> 00:00:28,450
images like this from decades old satellites just aren't quite up to snuff.

8
00:00:28,470 --> 00:00:32,500
Thankfully scientists and engineers have been busy working with meteorologists to improve things. So they have

9
00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:36,590
an idea of what data is needed next. That way when they launch a new satellite

10
00:00:36,610 --> 00:00:40,640
they're adding to what they learned before, which means even better weather forecast for the rest of us.

11
00:00:40,660 --> 00:00:44,670
So, when you build a satellite in NOAA's GOES series called GOES-R.

12
00:00:44,690 --> 00:00:48,720
It naturally sets off a flurry of activity. Because they always want to improve

13
00:00:48,740 --> 00:00:52,780
things. Engineers might change the satellite platform, upgrade all the instruments, and

14
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,840
because it's meant to improve the forecast, add something totally new that's never been done before.

15
00:00:56,860 --> 00:01:00,870
Like a new lightning mapper. After months of constructive debates and probably

16
00:01:00,890 --> 00:01:04,900
more than a few late nights, they'll finally come to an agreement.

17
00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,920
Once everything has been approved, the engineers get to design and put the satellite together.

18
00:01:08,940 --> 00:01:13,000
However, even though they've built GOES satellites before, it's not just a matter of pulling out the old designs and

19
00:01:13,020 --> 00:01:17,040
bolting everything together. Because there's new science to be done, things need to be redesigned

20
00:01:17,060 --> 00:01:21,090
modified, upgraded, built, tested, re-tested,

21
00:01:21,110 --> 00:01:25,140
tested some more, and finally delivered so that at the end of the day it all fits neatly

22
00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,220
atop a giant rocket. Once all that's finished, the satellite launches into space

23
00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,260
The scientists and engineers celebrate and lots of new data stars coming in that improves the weather

24
00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:47,054
forecast for us here on Earth.