The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, or GOES, are NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather satellites in geostationary orbit. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration builds and launches the GOES series satellites, while NOAA provides the data they operate for use in weather forecasting and disaster mitigation.

NOAA’s GOES satellite fleet has been providing continuous imagery and data on atmospheric conditions and solar activity for more than 40 years, helping NOAA forecasters provide better and more accurate weather information and even save lives through early warnings of severe storms and enabling search and rescue crews to find people in distress.

GOES satellites are designated with a letter prior to launch and renamed with a number once they reach geostationary orbit. The most recent satellite to be launched was GOES-R, which was renamed GOES-16 after it reached orbit and was moved into position as NOAA’s operational GOES East satellite. GOES-S was launched in 2018, and will serve as an on-orbit backup to GOES-16.

The primary instruments on a GOES satellite are the Imager and Sounder, both of which employ servo-driven two-axis gimbal mirror systems to scan the Earth in varying degrees. The Imager detects reflected and incoming solar radiation in the visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared spectrum; the Sounder gathers data on vertical atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles, surface water vapor, cloud top temperatures, and ozone distribution.

In addition to the primary instruments, all GOES satellites carry the Space Environment Monitor instrument package operated by NOAA’s Space Weather Center in Boulder. This instrument suite measures the effect of solar wind on the near-Earth solar-terrestrial electromagnetic environment and provides real-time data to NOAA/SEC for dissemination to the user community.

Other GOES sensors and instruments include the Solar X-Ray Imager, which captures solar X-ray imagery in near real time, and enables NOAA/SEC to rapidly issue warnings when solar flare activity is expected to impact space-borne and ground-based assets. GOES also carries the Lightning Imager, which detects the onset of thunderstorm activity and can be used to pinpoint the location of a damaging storm cell.

The GOES system continues to evolve with the addition of new products and technologies, including a new generation of geostationary satellites. For example, the upcoming GOES-U series will incorporate both the Geostationary Lightning Mapper and the Geostationary Atmospheric Particle Analyzer. Both of these will enhance the already impressive suite of GOES products to deliver more data and better understanding of Earth’s weather systems.