National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) lifted their advanced Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S (GOES-S) into the thermal vacuum chamber in March 2017. GOES-S satellite was engineered to withstand against most critical weather condition and space environment in its orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth.
NASA has reported on their official web page that thermal vacuum chamber can create the condition like a cold void of space. GOES-S has to pass through the most complicated and challenging test like four cycles of extreme cold temperature to an intense hot condition in the vacuum chamber.
According to Phys, the chamber was cooled down to minus 100 degrees Celsius or minus 148 degrees Fahrenheit to simulate the environmental condition of Space. The test would determine how GOES-S will encounter the sudden temperature changes in space. The instruments can come back to life from shut down position even in worst case scenarios like extreme weathers and exposure to colder temperatures.
GOES-S entered into the vacuum chamber on March 8 for its extreme tests. The satellite has to stay there for 45 days to pass the test.the gigantic vacuum chamber is situated at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver in Colorado. On March 30 it has successfully completed its first phase of the test by completing two cycles.
GOES-S satellite is the second version of GOES-R series. The GOES-R satellite program was developed in a joint collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) and NOAA. Its main purpose was to monitor weathers and warn people about upcoming natural disasters before the hit on the specified spot.
The GOES-R series satellites including GOES-S are equipped with advanced imaging sensors that can observe and predict tornadoes, thunderstorms, flash floods, fog, volcanic eruption, dust storms, wildfires and other severe weather conditions. The new member of GOES-R family will not only monitor Earth’s weather but also help scientists by notifying about upcoming solar storms asteroid and comet strikes.
