At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville Fla. the first half of the fairing for the GOES-N spacecraft is raised nearly upright.

At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., the first half of the fairing for the GOES-N spacecraft is raised nearly upright. The fairing will be used to encapsulate, or enclose, the GOES-N satellite for launch. The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. Once out of the atmosphere, the fairing is jettisoned. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N will be launched May 18 on a Boeing Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller