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| Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series | |
|---|---|
| Name | Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series |
| Caption | Artist's rendering of a GOES-R series satellite at geostationary orbit |
| Operator | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Applications | Meteorology, space weather, environmental monitoring |
| Spacecraft type | Geostationary weather satellite |
| Launch mass | ~5,192 kg |
| Power | ~4.8 kW |
| Status | Active |
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series is the fourth generation of the United States' geostationary weather satellite constellation managed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in partnership with National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The program succeeded earlier Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite generations and provides advanced visible, infrared, and near-infrared imaging along with space weather monitoring to support forecasting for the United States, Central America, South America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The series enhances capabilities used by agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Hurricane Center, and Air Force Weather Agency.
The series was conceived to replace legacy GOES-N Series capabilities and to integrate technologies developed for programs like Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership and Jason (satellite) missions. It operates in geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the Equator and provides continuous observations for operational centers including National Weather Service, Space Weather Prediction Center, and international partners such as CONAE and EUMETSAT. The program leverages industrial suppliers such as Boeing, sensor providers like Ball Aerospace, and launch service contractors including United Launch Alliance.
Initial studies began in the early 2000s with requirements set by Department of Commerce and coordinated with Office of Management and Budget. The program transitioned through phases involving Goddard Space Flight Center, NOAA Satellite and Information Service, and industry teams led by Lockheed Martin Space. Key milestones include satellite selection, instrument integration, thermal vacuum testing at Ames Research Center-affiliated facilities, and environmental qualification at Jet Propulsion Laboratory testbeds. Political oversight involved congressional committees such as the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and funding decisions in annual appropriations by the United States Congress.
The bus is based on heritage platforms customized by Lockheed Martin with attitude control systems from suppliers including Honeywell and reaction wheels borrowed from designs used on Advanced Composition Explorer. Primary instruments include the Advanced Baseline Imager developed by Exelis (formerly ITT), the Geostationary Lightning Mapper built by teams with expertise from University of Alabama in Huntsville, the Solar Ultraviolet Imager derived from concepts used on GOES-R predecessors, and the Space Weather Sensors suite benefiting from collaborations with Applied Physics Laboratory, NOAA labs, and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Onboard processors and radiation-hardened electronics were procured from vendors such as Boeing Defense, Space & Security and tested at facilities affiliated with Sandia National Laboratories.
Launches have employed vehicles operated by United Launch Alliance and launch sites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center. Each satellite undergoes on-orbit checkout before handover to NOAA operations centers at Boulder, Colorado and Satellite Operations Facility complexes. The series' commissioning phases reference procedures used on Landsat and Terra (satellite) missions. Some launches encountered scheduling changes influenced by factors discussed in briefings to the House Science Committee and coordination with Federal Aviation Administration range operations.
Operational capabilities support hurricane tracking used by the National Hurricane Center, aviation forecasting utilized by Federal Aviation Administration, emergency response by Federal Emergency Management Agency, and maritime services coordinated with National Ocean Service. Space weather instruments provide alerts relied upon by North American Electric Reliability Corporation and satellite operators such as Iridium and Intelsat. Imagery and derived products feed models maintained by National Centers for Environmental Prediction, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and research groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Washington for numerical weather prediction, nowcasting, and climate monitoring.
Data streams are routed through ground segments operated by NOAA Satellite Operations Facility and processed by systems with heritage from Direct Broadcast and the Environmental Satellite Processing Center. Real-time dissemination uses networks and protocols coordinated with National Weather Service, Internet2, and international data hubs like EUMETSAT's distribution system. Products include multispectral radiances, derived atmospheric motion vectors used by Global Forecast System, lightning strike datasets consumed by National Lightning Detection Network, and space weather alerts shared with Department of Defense and civilian partners.
International collaboration involves partnerships with EUMETSAT, CONAE, JAXA, and UK Met Office for calibration, validation, and product interoperability. Ground segment development engaged contractors and research institutions such as Raytheon, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, NOAA Research Laboratories, and university testbeds at Colorado State University. Data sharing agreements mirror frameworks used in agreements with World Meteorological Organization and bilateral memoranda with agencies like Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Category:Weather satellites Category:Earth observation satellites