Lockheed Martin has successfully deployed its last geostationary operational environmental satellite (GOES) in orbit just weeks after being selected by Nasa to build the next generation.

GOES-19 was placed in geostationary orbit 22,236 miles above Earth’s equator earlier this week, completing the series of satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide accurate weather forecasts.

It will track severe storms, hurricanes, wildfires, lightning, fog and other hazards that threaten much of North America, including the US, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Onboard GOES-19 is a new instrument that will allow the satellite to monitor solar activity and space weather and provide early warnings of disruptions to power grids, and communications and navigation systems.

The successful deployment comes just weeks after Lockheed was awarded a $2.27bn contract by Nasa to build and develop the next generation of weather satellites as part...