GOES-13

GOES-13
Name	GOES-13
Mission type	Weather satellite
Operator	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Cospar id	2006-047A
Satcat	29486
Spacecraft type	GOES-N series
Manufacturer	The Boeing Company (formerly Hughes Space and Communications)
Launch mass	2936 kg
Power	2000 W
Launch date	2006-05-24
Launch rocket	Delta II
Launch site	Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 17B
Entered service	2006-06-24
Deactivated	2018-12-19 (operational retirement), repurposed as standby and backup
Orbit type	Geostationary orbit
Orbit longitude	75° West (nominal)

GOES-13

GOES-13 was an American geostationary weather satellite developed and operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It formed part of the GOES-N series built by Boeing Satellite Systems and provided meteorological, solar and space weather observations for the United States and the Western Hemisphere. The spacecraft supported forecasting, severe weather tracking, hurricane monitoring and space weather research across its operational lifetime.

Mission overview

GOES-13's mission objectives included continuous atmospheric imaging, infrared sounding and space environment monitoring to support National Weather Service operations, National Hurricane Center forecasting, Federal Aviation Administration planning and United States Air Force space surveillance. The satellite carried instruments to observe convective systems, mesoscale features, sea surface temperatures and solar activity to assist agencies such as National Oceanography Centre partners and regional centers like the Meteorological Service of Canada. GOES-13 also contributed to disaster response efforts coordinated with organizations like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and international groups such as the World Meteorological Organization.

Spacecraft design and instruments

The platform was based on the A2100 satellite bus design produced by Hughes Space and Communications and later managed by Boeing. Key instruments included an imager and sounder suite patterned after predecessors used by NOAA-16 and successors like GOES-16, plus a solar X-ray imager for monitoring solar flares and a magnetometer for detecting geomagnetic disturbances noted by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. The imager performed visible and infrared channels to observe clouds, land surface and oceanic features relevant to entities such as the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and Naval Research Laboratory. Redundant telemetry, tracking and command systems were implemented in collaboration with United States Geological Survey data routing and European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites liaison offices.

Launch and early operations

GOES-13 launched aboard a Delta II 7925 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (now Cape Canaveral Space Force Station) and was inserted into geostationary transfer orbit managed in coordination with United Launch Alliance traditions and NASA Ground Systems Development and Operations. Early orbit checkout included calibration campaigns involving facilities such as the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility and partnerships with Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique and academic centers like University of Wisconsin–Madison for radiometric validation. The satellite reached its operational longitude near 75° West after station-keeping burns and handover procedures with NOAA and NASA mission control teams.

Operational history and weather services

During service, the satellite supported routine imaging for the National Weather Service, fed data to the Global Telecommunications System, and aided forecasting activities at the National Hurricane Center during Atlantic hurricane seasons that affected regions including Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. GOES-13 imagery contributed to situational awareness during events such as major storms tracked by Emergency Management Agency operations and enabled aviation route planning for Federal Aviation Administration centers and military operations tied to United States Northern Command. The spacecraft also provided space weather data to support satellite operators like Intelsat and SES S.A. and power grid managers consulting with North American Electric Reliability Corporation during geomagnetic storms.

Technical issues and anomalies

GOES-13 experienced technical anomalies including on-orbit instrument degradations and gyroscope or reaction wheel irregularities similar to problems seen on satellites like GOES-11 and GOES-12. The mission team coordinated contingency procedures with contractors such as Boeing and monitoring centers like NOAA Satellite Operations Facility to mitigate impacts on services used by entities including National Ocean Service responders and research groups at Colorado State University. Anomalies required occasional repositioning, calibration adjustments and redundancy switchover in systems akin to practices employed by European Space Agency missions. These technical events influenced operational availability and necessitated transitions to successors including GOES-15 and later GOES-R series spacecraft.

Decommissioning and current status

Following retirement from primary operations, the satellite entered an extended role as a backup asset and was maintained in a disposal orbit plan consistent with guidelines advocated by Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee and United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. The deactivation included passivation procedures overseen by NOAA and coordination with Federal Communications Commission spectrum management and International Telecommunication Union filings. Parts of the spacecraft legacy influenced design and operations for later programs such as the GOES-R Program and informed collaborative initiatives with organizations like the World Meteorological Organization and academic partners at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Category:Weather satellites of the United States Category:Satellites launched in 2006