GOES-R Series Making Headway in NexGen Satellites (Credit: NASA & NOAA)

Credit: NASA

DISCUSSION: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is making due progress on its continual development of the GOES satellites, on the cusp of its most recent launch in November 2016 of GOES-16. Part of the latest GOES-R series is the addition of GOES-S and GOES-T to the family.
 
The GOES-R series is one of the most advanced series of satellites designed to provide unmatched data to meteorologists. GOES-R will relay information that will aid in observations, forecasting and will assist in monitoring, “aerosols, dust storms, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, space weather, oceanography, climate monitoring, in-situ data collection and for search and rescue” according to NASA.
 
GOES-R boasts an impressive instrumentation package including, “Earth sensing, solar imaging, and space environment measurement payloads. There are six primary instruments: the Advanced Baseline Imager; the Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors, which includes an Extreme Ultraviolet Sensor, X-Ray Sensor, EUVS/XRS Electrical Box, and Sun Positioning Sensor; the Geostationary Lightning Mapper; the Magnetometer; the Space Environment In-Situ Suite, which includes an Energetic Heavy Ion Sensor, Magnetospheric Particle Sensor – Low Energy Range, Magnetospheric Particle Sensor – High Energy Range, Solar and Galactic Proton Sensor, and Data Processing Unit; and the Solar Ultraviolet Imager” as stated by NASA.
 
GOES-S is scheduled for launch in spring 2018 with an estimated launch for GOES-T in 2020. When launched GOES-S will be renamed at GOES-17, and GOES-18 for GOES-T.
 
For information on other GOES products stay tuned to the Global Weather and Climate Center for updates!
 
© Meteorologist Jessica Olsen
 
 

Resources:

Jenner, Lynn. “GOES-R.” NASA, NASA, 4 Mar. 2015, www.nasa.gov/content/goes-r/index.html. Accessed 15 Aug. 2017.
 
“NOAA's GOES-S and GOES-T Satellites Coming Together.” NESDIS News & Articles, 3 Aug. 2017, www.nesdis.noaa.gov/content/noaa%E2%80%99s-goes-s-and-goes-t-satellites-coming-together. Accessed 15 Aug. 2017.