The Atlas 1 payload fairing is mated to the Lockheed Martin Atlas 1 expendable launch vehicle at Launch Complex 36.

The Atlas 1 payload fairing with the encapsulated GOES-K advanced weather satellite, at top center, is mated to the Lockheed Martin Atlas 1 expendable launch vehicle (AC-79) at Launch Complex 36, Pad B, Cape Canaveral Air Station. GOES-K will be the third spacecraft to be launched in the advanced series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The GOES satellites are owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); NASA manages the design, development and launch of the spacecraft. GOES-K is targeted for an April 24 launch during a launch window which extends from 1:50-3:09 a.m. EDT