GeoSat Follow-On (GFO)

The Navy launched its newest meteorological/oceanographic GeoSat Follow-On (GFO) satellite recently from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

GFO is the first operational real-time, radar altimeter satellite built for the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). It also provides the Navy with a direct altimeter data link to ships at sea and to Navy facilities on shore stations. The data is intended to enhance the effectiveness of Navy weapons and sensor systems. The data from GeoSat will help keep warfighters safe and ensure their effectiveness. This satellite will allow us to characterize the oceans with a high degree of fidelity.

In addition to transmitting the data directly to Navy ships, the GFO satellite stores global data and passes it via remote receiving stations to the Naval Oceanographic Office.

The 800-pound satellite, about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, measures sea surface topography and significant wave heights. Navy meteorologists and oceanographers use the data to depict ocean waves, currents, fronts, eddies and tides to support forward-deployed warfighter.

It is the first low-cost, access to space initiative, costing less than $85 million, and making use of commercial launch services. It was designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technology Corp., in Boulder, Colo., under contract to SPAWAR.