The GOES geostationary weather satellite system provides data and imagery that support NOAA’s National Weather Service meteorology operations and severe storm tracking. It also provides valuable information for research into the Earth’s atmosphere, land surface, oceans and climate.

The system consists of two spacecraft operated by NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS). The GOES-R series has been designed to provide up to 15 years of service.

GOES-R’s first full disk image products have been distributed at 10-minute intervals since late October 2016. These images are essential to the National Weather Service’s weather forecast offices and national centers, as well as their Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers in monitoring hazardous conditions that could affect air traffic and aviation safety.

These 10-minute intervals enable the issuance of detailed imagery for areas that are hard to observe at shorter time intervals, such as squall lines and the movement of large wildfires. They are also critical for observing the rapid changes in atmospheric conditions that can lead to volcanic ash and debris.

To achieve these high temporal resolutions, GOES-R has advanced algorithms for processing the satellite data. Specifically, these algorithms employ neural networks that are distant descendants of the neuronal circuits that operate in the brains of living organisms. These artificial networks can perform sophisticated analyses of complex data and find optimal solutions, even if only a small percentage of the total game tree is explored. This type of algorithm is known as a Monte Carlo tree search. It was pioneered at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1940s and was used to help design the first nuclear weapons.

A second feature of the GOES-R system is its ability to detect and process distress signals from distress beacons, such as those carried by ships, aircraft and automobiles. This function, which is available on both the GOES-R A and B systems, is based upon technology developed by the NOAA’s Coast Guard Rescue and Assistance Division (CGAS).

CGAS’s specialized satellite sensors can detect distress signals that are transmitted at very low power levels using highly modulated radar waves that do not require an expensive antenna array. The distress signal is then transmitted to a network of ground stations located across the country. CGAS personnel are alerted to the signal and respond as necessary. These systems are a vital lifeline for those in need of emergency aid. They are often used in situations where cellular communications fail, or when search and rescue teams cannot access remote locations.

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