Servant in space

I'd like you to meet NOAA-19. (It sounds just like "Noah-19.") NOAA-19 is a new weather satellite. It is so smart and so capable that it does everything except talk.

But if it could talk, it might say something like this:

"Hellooooo down there! Sorry, I have only a few minutes. I'm really busy.

"First, let me just say, the view is terrific. I blasted off on a rocket Feb. 6 of this year. The rocket gave me a smooth ride to about 540 miles above Earth. I pass very nearly over the North Pole and the South Pole every time I do one orbit of Earth.

"Oh, wait! I think I see a volcano erupting! Oh no! It's on a tiny island where people live. I have to notify my bosses down below right away . . .

"Whew! OK, I'm back. Where was I? Oh yes. Anyway, I go all the way around Earth in 102 minutes while Earth rotates below. I work with another satellite in a similar orbit. Between the two of us, we see the whole planet twice every 12 hours. We are true world travelers!

"You could call me the Swiss Army knife of satellites. I measure temperature and humidity all over Earth and throughout the atmosphere. I take pictures of the clouds and Earth's surface.

"Uh-oh! Somebody's in trouble. I am detecting an emergency signal from a boat in the South Pacific Ocean. I must figure out exactly where it's coming from, then pass along the call for help to Mission Control. It'll make sure another boat or ship nearby goes to the rescue.

"Boy, those emergency transmitters are real lifesavers! As long as I'm up here to relay their signals, that is!

"My space weather monitor is tickling me. Looks like the solar wind is picking up. I've really got to keep an eye on that. Strong solar winds can hurt satellite communications and solar panels -- including mine. If the sun gets very stormy, the solar wind can cause a lot of problems down on Earth too.

"I have 10 instruments altogether. I also measure Earth's protective ozone layer. Ozone gas high in the atmosphere protects Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet light is invisible to you guys down there. However, it causes sunburns and much, much worse. It can hurt crops, for one thing. Oh, by the way, I also keep an eye on how crops are doing. I track icebergs. Big ships definitely need to stay away from those.

"Scientists use my data to help them understand what is happening to Earth's environment, weather and climate. This way, they will be better able to predict what is coming next so that people can prepare.

"It's been nice talking to you, but I've got to get back to work. Uh-oh . . . plane crash. Bye for now!"

I hope you've enjoyed meeting NOAA-19. And by the way, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) built NOAA-19. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) now operates it and manages all its data. And that's why it's called NOAA-19.

To find out how NOAA-19's polar orbit enables it to see the whole planet, visit spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/goes/goes_poes_orbits.shtml.

Also, why should we care about storms on the sun? To find out, go to spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/goes/spaceweather.

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This article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.