The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U (GOES-U) project has chosen SpaceX to operate weather satellites.
On Friday, the agency revealed the collaboration, which includes a deal for $152.5 million. The GOES-U project, according to NASA, will offer improved images and meteorological data of the planet’s weather conditions, seas, and atmosphere.
It will also provide the real-time tracking of overall lightning frequency as well as enhanced solar activity measurement.
According to Space News, here the announcement came after United Launch Alliance (ULA) abandoned their proposal due to a lack of vehicles to start launching the satellites in space. We do have to make a withdrawal from our offer for NASA’s GOES-U launching contract,” ULA representative Jessica Rye specifically told Space News.” All 29 of the available major rockets also have been subsequently sold to clients for future launches.”
In April 2024, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket has decided to launch from Launch Complex 29A at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. SpaceX has a huge increase in the number of Falcon Heavy flights thanks to the GOES-U grant.
NASA chose SpaceX to build and launch a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa in July. According to Morgan McFall-Johnsen of Insider, the Europa Clipper’s mission is to look for indications of aquatic extra-terrestrial life in a subterranean ocean.
Astrobotic, a rocket firm, has also awarded SpaceX a contract with the company to launch a new water-hunting vehicle to the moon’s largely unexplored south pole.
On Wednesday, SpaceX will launch the main mission to orbit Earth that will include citizens who are not even professionally trained astronauts. four-person crew members for the Inspiration4 mission include a millionaire, a medical assistant, an engineer, and a scientist.