File:NOAA’s GOES-U Completes Environmental Testing (NESDIS 2023-09-14 2023 09 14 GOES-U Testing Complete).webm

English: Editor’s Note, March 26, 2024: The launch of GOES-U is now targeted for June 25, 2024. GOES-U, the fourth and final satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R Series of advanced geostationary satellites, recently completed rigorous testing to ensure it can withstand the harsh conditions of launch and orbiting in space 22,236 miles above Earth. The testing process spanned nearly a year. During thermal vacuum testing, completed in November 2022, GOES-U was placed in a large 29-foot wide by 65-foot deep (9 meter by 20 meter) chamber and subjected to a vast range of temperatures, soaring as high as 188 degrees Fahrenheit (87 degrees Celsius) and dropping as low as minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 55 degrees Celsius) to simulate the extreme temperatures of launch and the space environment.