Launch of GOES-R Satellite Delayed Six Months

The first of four next-generation U.S. civilian geostationary weather satellites will now launch in October 2016, about six months later than planned, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Oct. 15. The delay means NOAA will have to depend in some capacity on the aging GOES-13 for at least a year beyond its 10-year design life. The latest launch delay stems from unspecified issues with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R spacecraft itself, NOAA spokesman John Leslie wrote in an Oct. 15 email. This is the second slip for the satellite since its launch contract was inked in 2012, at which time GOES-R was scheduled to lift off this month. More

(Source: Space News - Oct 20)