It's all systems go for a new weather satellite
that just launched into space.
NOAA’s latest weather satellite, GOES-T, lifted off Tuesday.
As we kick off Women's
History Month, we can't ignore the fact that many of the powerhouses leading
today's mission are female!
Behind some of the most
powerful weather satellites in the world are some of the most dynamic women in
the space and science communities.
"Women are now right up there, representing the agency, doing important
jobs that people see,” says Candace Carlisle, Flight Program Manager,
NASA Goddard.
These leading ladies played a critical role in NOAA's next generation of
Geostationary Environmental Satellites, or GOES.
"It's my job to execute in building the primary instrument on the GOES-T
spacecraft!" says Jennifer Nix, Director, L3Harris Technologies.
Some of the lead engineers on this mission are female. They help make sure the
satellite can withstand whatever comes its way both on Earth and in space.
"They're really setting the example, here I am as a systems engineer on the program as well," says Shelby Mason, Systems Engineer with Lockheed Martin.
There's also a woman managing the program that helps get the rocket off the
launchpad.
“All
the way through launch, it's a beginning to end position," says Barbara Egan,
Program Manager United Launch Alliance.
The flight project manager is also a woman!
“It's
the culmination of that multi-year process that is the final countdown and
launch,” says Candace Carlisle, Flight Program Manager, NASA
Goddard.
In addition, there is a female commander, who oversees everything,
including the satellite's operation in space.
"We're going to spend about two months turning things on and doing the checkout of the instruments and we expect to see the first pictures in May!" says Pam Sullivan, GOES-R System Program Director, NOAA.
A dream team space squad also inspiring our future generations of girls that anything is possible when your dreams are infinite.