"A key satellite positioned to track severe weather in the eastern United States has failed, just as the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season is about to start."
"The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) activated a spare satellite, which will provide coverage of the East Coast, while it is trying to fix the failed one, the agency said in a status report on its website on Friday.
'There is no estimate on return to operations at this time,' NOAA said.
The Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season starts on June 1 and lasts six months. NOAA expects this year's season to be 'extremely active,' with 13 to 20 tropical storms and seven to 11 of those strengthening into hurricanes.
The agency's three current Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, known as GOES, were built by Boeing and designed to last 10 years. The failed spacecraft, GOES-13, was launched in 2006."
Irene Klotz reports for Reuters May 27, 2013.
SEE ALSO:
"Satellites See Storm System that Created Oklahoma Tornado" (SPX)
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