The GOES Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system provides a continuous stream of data to support weather monitoring and forecasting, severe storm tracking, and scientific research. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Satellite Operations Control Center in Suitland, Maryland controls the GOES spacecraft and instruments.
GOES-13 launched on October 1, 2006 and provides 10-minute full disk imagery of the Earth, day or night. The imager and sounder instruments monitor meteorological phenomena, including clouds, precipitation, surface temperature and wind fields. The Imager detects radiated solar energy and visible reflected solar energy, while the Sounder measures atmospheric temperature and moisture, as well as ozone distribution. GOES-13 also carries the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) and Space Environment Monitoring (SEM) instrument suites.
SXI, part of the GOES-13 payload, is designed to monitor the effects of Sun-terrestrial interactions on Earth’s space environment. This information is vital to military and commercial radio wave and satellite communications and navigation systems, electric power networks, and the missions of space station astronauts, geophysical explorers, high-altitude aviators and other scientists.
In addition, the SEM suite provides real-time monitoring of solar radiation at a variety of wavelengths that are important to the Nation’s space weather operations. This includes observing the high-cadence activity associated with large solar flares, and measuring the magnitude and direction of the ambient magnetic field using the phenomenon of Cherenkov radiation emitted by high-energy protons emitted by solar flares. The GOES-13 SEM suite also supports the Space Environment Services Center (SESC), the Nation’s space weather service, by providing reports, alerts and forecasts on a variety of solar-terrestrial interactions.
The SEM instrument suite also consists of the High-energy Proton Observer and Detector (EPS) and the Hyperspectral Imager for the Environmental Measurement of Air Pollution and Disturbances (HEPAD). The EPS is designed to monitor the extremely high energy protons emitted by solar flares. It is capable of detecting protons, alpha particles and electrons from a variety of energy ranges. The HEPAD is designed to continuously monitor galactic cosmic rays that can impact Earth’s electromagnetic environment.
The GOES-R Series Program is a collaborative NOAA-NASA endeavor to develop the 3rd generation of geostationary weather satellites and their sensor complement. NOAA oversees the GOES-R Series program through an integrated NOAA-NASA program office, while NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the design of the spacecraft and instrument suite. The GOES-R Series is the first of its kind to be developed with an entirely new space segment, operation procedures and observational sensors in a decadal timeframe. The program has been developed on the basis of demanding user requirements and state-of-the-art technology. The GOES-R Series Program is funded by the Department of Commerce through NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS) division.