Advanced Baseline Imager

Advanced Baseline Imager
NASA/NOAA · Public domain · source
Name	Advanced Baseline Imager
Maker	Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman
Country	United States
Launched	GOES-R GOES program
Orbit	Geostationary orbit
Operator	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Type	Meteorological imager
Spectral bands	16
Resolution	0.5–2 km

Advanced Baseline Imager is a multispectral imaging instrument deployed on the GOES-R family of geostationary satellites operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It provides frequent, high-resolution observations for National Weather Service, Federal Aviation Administration, United States Air Force, United States Navy, and international partners such as European Space Agency, Japan Meteorological Agency, and Met Office. The imager supports operational forecasting, research, and hazard monitoring for entities including World Meteorological Organization, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and regional centers.

Overview

The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) is a cross-track scanning radiometer designed to replace legacy instruments used on earlier GOES generations and to complement imagers on Meteosat, Himawari, and Fengyun platforms, serving agencies such as NOAA and NASA. ABI's role spans applications for organizations like National Hurricane Center, Joint Typhoon Warning Center, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and National Centers for Environmental Prediction, enabling integration with systems from United States Geological Survey, National Snow and Ice Data Center, and International Maritime Organization. The instrument's design goals were set during collaboration among contractors including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and government programs such as GOES-R Program Office.

Design and Technical Specifications

ABI employs multispectral focal plane assemblies with 16 discrete channels covering visible, near-infrared, and infrared wavelengths, achieving spatial resolutions from 0.5 km in visible to 2 km in longwave infrared, meeting specifications defined by NOAA standards and NASA science requirements. The instrument uses a two-axis gimbal and scan mirror system produced by industry partners including Honeywell International and Ball Aerospace to provide full-disk, continental US, and mesoscale scanning modes for users like National Weather Service and Department of Homeland Security. Thermal control and cryogenic design reference heritage from missions such as Suomi NPP, Landsat 8, and MODIS on Terra and Aqua, while onboard electronics architecture reflects practices from Aerospace Corporation and Jet Propulsion Laboratory developments.

Instruments and Sensors

ABI's sensor suite includes 16 spectral bands selected to sample signature features used by agencies like National Hurricane Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, and research institutions such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Bands target phenomena observed in programs such as SeaWiFS, VIIRS, and ASTER, supporting retrievals of cloud-top properties, atmospheric motion vectors, fire detection, volcanic ash, and aerosols relevant to Civil Aviation Authority operations and international aviation advisories under International Civil Aviation Organization. The focal plane includes mercury-cadmium-telluride detectors and silicon photodiodes developed with industrial partners like Teledyne Technologies and tested at facilities including Sandia National Laboratories.

Data Processing and Products

ABI data are processed through NOAA Satellite and Information Service ground segments and distributed via networks such as RAMADDA, EPIC, and GOES Rebroadcast, supporting real-time product generation by National Weather Service, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and regional forecast centers. Level 1 radiance calibration applies algorithms influenced by studies from University of Wisconsin–Madison, Colorado State University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers, while higher-level products include cloud mask, derived cloud-top height, atmospheric motion vectors, fire hot-spot detection, smoke plume tracking, and sea surface temperature used by National Ocean Service, NOAA Fisheries, and International Arctic Research Center. Data tools and visualization integrate with platforms such as AWIPS II, ArcGIS from Esri, and community resources like Unidata.

Applications and Operational Use

Operational users include National Weather Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Defense, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and international disaster-response agencies coordinated by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. ABI supports forecasting for events like Hurricane Katrina-scale storms, volcanic eruptions similar to Eyjafjallajökull eruption, wildfires comparable to Camp Fire (2018), and floods akin to 2010 Pakistan floods, informing evacuation planning by authorities such as FEMA and regional civil protection agencies. Scientific research leveraging ABI data involves collaborations with universities including Stanford University, Harvard University, University of Oxford, and centers like NOAA ESRL and NCAR for climate monitoring, convective storm analysis, and air quality studies coordinated with WHO assessments.

Development History and Future Upgrades

ABI development was led by the GOES-R Program Office with prime contracts awarded to industrial teams including Lockheed Martin and subcontracts to Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman, and component suppliers such as Teledyne Technologies and Honeywell International, building on heritage from missions like GOES-13, GOES-15, MTSAT, and Himawari-8. Testing and calibration involved laboratories at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NOAA's NESDIS, Aerospace Corporation, and university partners including University of Colorado Boulder. Planned enhancements and future upgrades discussed by agencies like NOAA and NASA include increased spectral resolution, GPU-accelerated onboard processing influenced by DARPA initiatives, and interoperability with next-generation platforms from European Space Agency and commercial suppliers such as Planet Labs and Maxar Technologies. Proposed science investigations engage communities including American Meteorological Society, AGU, and International Union for Conservation of Nature to expand applications for climate monitoring and disaster resilience.

Category:Satellites