Satellite User Readiness Navigator (SATURN)

GOES-17 Post-Launch Testing, Science Product Validation, and Data Release

Posted on 2019-06-05

GOES-S reached geostationary orbit on March 12, 2018, and was renamed GOES-17. The satellite then underwent post-launch checkout and testing at 89.5 degrees west longitude. Post-launch testing includes instrument calibration and trending and image navigation and registration system testing and validation.

The GOES-R Program encountered a performance issue with the cooling system of the GOES-17 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument. The loop heat pipe (LHP) subsystem, which transfers heat from the ABI electronics to the radiator, is not operating at its designed capacity. This is preventing adequate cooling for some of the infrared (IR) channels on the instrument. The effect is worse during warm portions of orbit, near midnight when sun enters the ABI aperture, and during warm seasons around vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Under worst case conditions, local emission and dark current noise cause the longer wavelength channels saturate and become unusable for some hours.

Optimization techniques have been successful in recovering more than 97% of planned ABI data. GOES-17 is currently observing with more channels, at a higher resolution, and with more rapid refresh than what is available from the current GOES West satellite. NOAA is confident the GOES constellation will continue to meet the operational needs of the National Weather Service and forecasters across the nation.

GOES-17 was handed over from the GOES-R Program to NOAA’s Office of Satellite and Product Operations on October 22, 2018. The satellite then drifted from its checkout location at 89.5 degrees west longitude to its operational location at 137.2 degrees west, arriving on November 13, 2018.

Following two days of calibration activity, all instruments resumed data distribution on November 15, 2018. After additional operational testing at the 137.2 degrees west position, GOES-17 began operations as NOAA’s GOES West satellite on February 12, 2019.

GOES-15 will continue to operate alongside GOES-17 until at least July 2019 allow for assessment of the performance of GOES-17 as the GOES West operational satellite. GOES-15 drifted from its operational location at 135 degrees west longitude to 128 west to eliminate radio frequency interference with GOES-17 at 137.2 west.

A summary of the cooling system issue, latest status, estimated channel availability, impact to data products, information on data flow to users, and frequently asked questions can be found on the GOES-17 ABI Performance webpage.

Product Validation

Each GOES-17 data product goes through three levels of validation: Beta, Provisional and Full.

Beta: The product is made available to users to gain familiarity with data formats and parameters. The product has been minimally validated and may still contain significant errors and is not optimized for operational use.

Provisional: Product is ready for operational use but has documented known issues. Product analyses are sufficient to communicate product performance to users relative to expectations (performance baseline).

Full: Product is operational. All known product anomalies are resolved and/or documented and shared with the user community.

A Peer Stakeholder – Product Validation Review (PS-PVR) happens for each product at each level of maturity. The PS-PVR appraises the the status of product quality with respect to program definitions.

A schedule of GOES-17 product validation is below. Click to enlarge.

The Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC) is the source for GOES-17 notifications. To subscribe, email ESPCOperations@noaa.gov. Between launch and operations handover (launch + 6 months), notifications will only occur for distribution turn-on milestones. After operations handover, nominal notifications commence.

The first public visible imagery from the GOES-17 Advanced Baseline Imager were released on May 31, 2018. See the GOES-17 Data and Imagery gallery for additional GOES-17 imagery and data from all six instruments. Note: The GOES-17 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational data and are undergoing on-orbit testing.

GOES-17 science product validation schedule as of May 17, 2019.

GOES-17 ABI full disk view of Earth’s Western Hemisphere from its checkout position on May 20, 2018

See GOES-R Data Access Mechanisms for detailed information for GOES-R data distribution.

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GOES-R Series Basics

Posted on 2019-03-27

NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites – R Series (GOES-R) is the Western Hemisphere’s most advanced weather-observing and environmental-monitoring system. GOES-R Series satellites will provide continuous imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s Western Hemisphere and space weather monitoring to provide critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar and space data. GOES-R Series environmental data products improve short-term weather forecasts, increase thunderstorm and tornado warning lead time, improve hurricane tracking and intensity forecasts, improve aviation flight route planning, provide data for long-term climate variability studies, and improve solar flare warnings for communications and navigation disruptions. The GOES-R Series also supports maritime forecasts, seasonal predictions, drought outlooks and space weather predictions. The GOES-R series (GOES-R, S, T, and U) will extend the availability of the operational GOES satellite system through 2036.

The GOES-R satellite launched on November 19, 2016, at 6:42 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket. View GOES-R launch videos and GOES-R launch images on the program website. Read the GOES-R launch press release.

GOES-R lifted off at 6:42 p.m. EST on November 19, 2016 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket. Credit: ULA

GOES-R became GOES-16 once it reached geostationary orbit on November 29, 2016. After a series of maneuvers, conducted using the satellite’s hydrazine bipropellent thrusters (HBTs), GOES-16 placed itself in its designated 89.5 degree West longitude checkout location where it will undergo an extended checkout and validation phase of approximately one year.

GOES-16 moved to 75.2 degrees west longitude and became NOAA’s operational GOES East satellite on December 18, 2017, replacing GOES-13. From its operational location, GOES-16 is keeping watch over most of North America, including the continental United States and Mexico, as well as Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of Africa. View details of GOES-16’s transition to operations.

GOES-13 now resides in storage. GOES-14 will continue to be the on-orbit spare GOES satellite in the event of an anomaly or failure of GOES East or GOES West.

GOES-S launched on March 1, 2018, at 5:02 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket. The satellite was renamed GOES-17 when it reached geostationary orbit on March 12, 2018. After post-launch checkout and testing at 89.5 degrees west longitude, GOES-17 moved to 137.2 degrees west longitude in November 2018 and underwent additional testing in it’s operational location. GOES-17 became NOAA’s operational GOES West satellite on February 12, 2019. An operational GOES-17 gives NOAA two next-generation environmental satellites watching over the Western Hemisphere, from the west coast of Africa to New Zealand.

GOES-S launch

View videos of the GOES-S launch and photos of the GOES-S launch on the program website.

GOES-15 will continue to operate alongside GOES-17 through early July 2019 to allow for assessment of the performance of GOES-17 as the GOES West operational satellite. GOES-15 drifted from its operational location at 135 degrees west longitude to 128 west to eliminate radio frequency interference with GOES-17 at 137.2 west.

GOES-R series satellites’ environmental data products support short-term 1-2 day weather forecasts and severe storm watches and warnings, maritime forecasts, seasonal predictions, drought outlooks and space weather predictions.

GOES-R marks the first major technological advances in geostationary observations since 1994 (when GOES-I/8 launched)
GOES-R Series satellites offer 3x more spectral channels than previous GOES with 4x greater resolution, 5x faster than ever before.
The satellites scan the full disk every 15 minutes, the Continental U.S. every 5 minutes, and areas of severe weather every 30-60 seconds, all at the same time.
The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) is the first operational lightning mapper flown in geostationary orbit.

GOES-R Series improvements over previous GOES:

Improved hurricane track and intensity forecasts
Increased thunderstorm and tornado warning lead time
Earlier warning of ground lightning strike hazards
Improved aviation flight route planning
Improved air quality warnings and alerts
Better monitor areas of smoke and dust, which can be a critical factor in visibility
Better fire detection and intensity estimation
Better detection of heavy rainfall and flash flooding risks
Improved transportation safety
Improved solar flare warnings for communications and navigation disruptions
More accurate monitoring of energetic particles responsible for radiation hazards to humans and spacecraft
Better monitoring of space weather to improve geomagnetic storm forecasting
Improved detection of coronal holes, solar flares and coronal mass ejection source regions
Improved power blackout forecasts
Increased dynamic range, resolution, and sensitivity in monitoring solar x-ray flux
Enhanced detection of weaker emergency beacon signals for improved search and rescue operations
Improved Numerical Weather Prediction models
Better data for long-term climate variability studies

Detailed information about the GOES-R Series spacecraft and instruments can be found on the following webpages:

Ground support is critical to the GOES-R Series mission. NOAA developed a state-of-the-art ground system that receives data from the GOES-R Series spacecraft and generates real-time data products. This is accomplished via a core set of functional elements, an antenna system and a product access component. The GOES-R Series satellites produce 3.5 terabytes of data per day, as compared to only 90 gigabytes of data per day for current GOES and POES combined.

GOES-R FAQs: http://www.goes-r.gov/resources/faqs.html

http://www.goes-r.gov

http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES-R/index.html

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GOES-R User Readiness Planning

Posted on 2018-09-13

The GOES-R Series Program is committed to ensuring that the user community is prepared for the new types of satellite imagery and data that are available from the GOES-R satellite series. Users are defined as the individuals, companies, and institutions that will use the GOES-R Level 1b (L1b), Level 2, and higher-level (L2+) products to perform their meteorological functions. Preparing users for the advanced capabilities of GOES-R Series satellites is essential to the success of the mission. The intended outcomes of the user readiness plan are day one readiness, maximum utilization of GOES-R products, and an effective transition to operations. GOES-R engaged users early in the process through Proving Ground and NOAA testbed activities, simulated data sets, training, scientific and user conferences, and other communication and outreach efforts.

Learn more about GOES-R User Readiness.

The GOES-R User Readiness Plan (URP) provides an overall plan for the user readiness.

An important element of user readiness is the GOES-R Proving Ground. The Proving Ground is a collaborative effort between the GOES-R Program Office, NOAA Cooperative Institutes, a NASA center, NWS Weather Forecast Offices, NCEP National Centers, and NOAA Test Beds across the country. The Proving Ground is a project in which simulated GOES-R products can be tested and evaluated before the GOES-R satellite is launched into space.

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GOES-16 Post-Launch Testing, Science Product Validation, and Data Release

Posted on 2019-04-05

GOES-R reached geostationary orbit on November 29, 2016, and became known as GOES-16. GOES-16 underwent a six-month checkout period in the central 89.5 degrees west checkout orbit and then an additional six months of extended validation. Post-launch testing includes instrument calibration and trending and image navigation and registration system testing and validation.

GOES-16 moved to 75.2 degrees west longitude and became NOAA’s operational GOES East satellite on December 18, 2017, replacing GOES-13. From its operational location, GOES-16 is keeping watch over most of North America, including the continental United States and Mexico, as well as Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of Africa. View details of GOES-16’s transition to operations.

Each GOES-16 data product goes through three levels of validation: Beta, Provisional and Full.

Full: Product is operational. All known product anomalies are resolved and/or documented and shared with the user community.

A schedule of GOES-16 product validation is below. Click to enlarge.

GOES-16 Science Product Validation Schedule as of April 3, 2019

The Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC) is the source for GOES-16 notifications. To subscribe, email ESPCOperations@noaa.gov. Between launch and operations handover (launch + 6 months), notifications will only occur for distribution turn-on milestones. After operations handover, nominal notifications commence.

The first public images and from the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager were released on January 23, 2017. See the GOES-16 Data and Imagery gallery for additional GOES-16 imagery and data from all six instruments. Note: The GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational data and are undergoing on-orbit testing.

This composite color full-disk visible image is from 1:07 p.m. EDT on January 15, 2017 and was created using several of the 16 spectral channels available on the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument. The image shows North and South America and the surrounding oceans.

This area of Mexico and Central America is seen from GOES-16 with a largely cloud-free view. A fire and its associated smoke are evident over southern Mexico near the coast.

GOES-16 instrument data are now publicly available via direct readout (GOES Rebroadcast, HRIT/EMWIN and GeoNetcast America) and terrestrial access [Product Distribution and Access (PDA) and the Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS)].

See GOES-R Data Access Mechanisms for detailed information for GOES-R data distribution.

One comment on “GOES-16 Post-Launch Testing, Science Product Validation, and Data Release”

Tony M says

2017-01-17 at 6:20 pm

Many Thanks for posting this valuable information on GOES-16!
We look forward to release of first public images from GOES-16 on January 23!

Reply

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GOES-R Series Instrument Performance

Posted on 2019-06-05

The GOES-R Series Data Book provides detailed information on GOES-R Series instrument performance.

Instrument performance information currently available includes:

Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI):

abi

Technical Summary of ABI Bands

ABI Weighting Functions

ABI Spectral Response Functions

A Closer Look at the ABI on the GOES-R Series (Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society):

The GOES-R Program encountered a performance issue with the cooling system of the GOES-17 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument during post-launch checkout in 2018. The loop heat pipe (LHP) subsystem, which transfers heat from the ABI electronics to the radiator, is not operating at its designed capacity. This is preventing adequate cooling for some of the infrared (IR) channels on the instrument. The effect is worse during warm portions of orbit, near midnight when sun enters the ABI aperture, and during warm seasons around vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Under worst case conditions, local emission and dark current noise cause the longer wavelength channels saturate and become unusable for some hours.

Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM):

Staring CCD imager (1372×1300 pixels)
Near-uniform spatial resolution of approximately 10 km
Coverage up to 52 deg N lat
70-90% flash detection day and night
Single band 777.4 nm
2 ms frame rate
7.7 Mbps downlink data rate (for comparison- TRMM LIS 8 kbps)
< 20 sec product latency

Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS):

EXIS Key Measurements Chart

EXIS Metrics:

Mass	30.0 kg
Power	40 watts
X-Band Data Rate	7.2 Kbps
L-Band Data Rate	0.9 Kbps
Envelope	76 x 30 x 37 cm
Thermal	Active Control, 2 Zones

Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS):

Energetic Heavy Ion Sensor (EHIS) Performance Requirements

Magnetospheric Particle Sensor – Low (MPS-LO) Performance Requirements

Magnetospheric Particle Sensor – High (MPS-HI) Performance Requirements

Solar and Galactic Proton Sensor (SGPS) Performance Requirements

Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI):

SUVI Operational Goals:

Locate coronal holes for geometric storm forecasts
Detect and locate flares for forecasts of solar energetic particle events related to flares
Monitor changes in the corona that indicate Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)
Detect active regions beyond the east limb for activity forecasts
Analyze active region complexity for flare forecasts

Six wavelength bands observe the range of solar phenomena important for space weather forecasting:

suvi

Level I functional and performance requirements for the GOES-R series system

The GOES-R Series Mission Requirements Document

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GOES-16 and GOES-17 Areas of Coverage and Observations Schedule

Posted on 2019-06-05

GOES-17 moved to 137.2 degrees west longitude and became NOAA’s operational GOES West satellite on February 12, 2019, replacing GOES-15. From its operational location, GOES-17 is in position to watch over the western continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Ocean all the way to New Zealand. View details of GOES-17’s transition to operations.

GOES constellation coverage in the GOES-R era.

For information on how the GOES-R Series system operates, see the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) document.

The original default observation mode for the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager was a full disk scan every 15 minutes, a CONUS every 5 minutes, and two mesoscale every 60 seconds (or one sub-region every 30 seconds). On April 2, 2019, the GOES-16 and GOES-17 Advanced Baseline Imagers began operating in a new scan mode, 10-minute flex mode. Ten-minute flex mode is very similar to the previous default flex mode with one exception: a full disk image is generated every 10 minutes instead of every 15 minutes. Contiguous U.S. (CONUS) for GOES-16/ Pacific U.S. (PACUS) for GOES-17 scans (3000 km by 50000 km) are still provided every five minutes, in addition to two mesoscale domains (1000 km by 1000 km) every 60 seconds (or one domain every 30 seconds if scanning the same domain). The new scan mode allows NOAA to match the full-disk scanning cadence of our international partners and will be critical to National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices, National Centers, and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers in monitoring hazardous weather conditions and providing additional information in observationally limited areas. Additional modes of operation for the ABI can be found at http://www.goes-r.gov/spacesegment/abi.html.

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GOES-R Series Long-Term Operations Plan

Posted on 2019-06-05

NOAA operates two primary geostationary satellites. GOES East is located at 75.2° W and provides most of the U.S. weather information. GOES West is located at 137.2°W over the Pacific Ocean. NOAA also maintains an on-orbit spare GOES satellite in the event of an anomaly or failure of GOES East or GOES West. The GOES-R series (GOES-R, S, T, and U) will extend the availability of the operational GOES satellite system through 2036.

GOES-R (now GOES-16) launched in November 2016 and is operational as GOES East. GOES-S (now GOES-17) launched in March 2018 and is operational as GOES West.

GOES-T is scheduled for launch in December 2021 and GOES-U is scheduled for launch in 2024.

View the latest GOES flyout chart/launch schedule.

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GOES-R Data, Products and Applications

Posted on 2017-01-05

GOES-R will make available 34 meteorological, solar and space weather products. An additional 31 products may be made available as future capabilities for the GOES-R Series.

The baseline set of operational GOES-16 products can be found at http://www.goes-r.gov/products/baseline.html. For each product, the detailed Algorithm Theoretical Baseline Document is provided, as well as short descriptions of the applications of the product. A list of future capability products for the GOES-R series is provided at http://www.goes-r.gov/products/option2.html.

A collection of product fact sheets is available at http://www.goes-r.gov/products/factsheets.html.

Additional information about the development of GOES-R series products is provided by the Algorithm Working Group.

The Product Definition and Users’ Guide (PUG) document provides a product description and format users’ guide for all data and products produced and made available to users by GOES-R Core Ground Segment.

GOES-R series sample data can be found at http://www.goes-r.gov/products/samples.html. These sample datasets represent initial products generated from the GOES-R ground segment during integration and test of product algorithms. These datasets are intended to give GOES-R users a first look at sample data. This data is provided for reference only and should not be considered final. All datasets are available in NetCDF format.

Example of ABI L1b data for each of the 16 bands as simulated from high resolution numerical weather prediction model output and state-of-the-art radiative transfer models.

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GOES-R Series Data Formats and Volumes

Posted on 2018-09-13

There are three levels of GOES-R series data:

Level 0: Unprocessed instrument data at full resolution

Level 1b: Level 0 data with radiometric and geometric correction applied to produce parameters in physical units

Level 2+: Derived environmental variables comparable to Level 1 spatial and temporal resolution

The GOES-R Product Definition and Users’ Guide (PUG) document provides a product description and format users’ guide for all data and products produced and made available to users by the GOES-R series core ground system. This includes the GOES Rebroadcast (GRB), Level 0 data, Level 1b products, and all Level 2+ end products as well as ISO series metadata, instrument calibration data and semi-static source data and algorithm packages. The PUG is divided into five volumes:

Volume 1 (Main) contains reference material, product and data overview information and cross-reference tables to specific product and data paragraphs in the other volumes.

Volume 2 (L0 Products) contains Level 0 product descriptions and format information. Note that there is an Appendix X document containing detailed descriptions of ISO series metadata associated with Level 0 products and data.

Volume 3 (L1b Products) contains Level 1b product and data descriptions and content and format information. Note that there is an Appendix X document containing detailed descriptions of ISO series metadata associated with Level 1b products and data.

Volume 4 (GRB) contains product and data descriptions and content and format information for data made available via GOES Rebroadcast (GRB). This volume also contains description, content and format information for the communications and application level protocols used in GRB. Note that there is an Appendix X document containing detailed descriptions of ISO series metadata associated with Level 1b and Level 2+ products available via GRB.

Volume 5 (Level 2+ Products) contains Level 2+ product and data descriptions and content and format information. Note that there is an Appendix X document containing detailed descriptions of ISO series metadata associated with Level 2+ products.

Appendix X (ISO Series Metadata) is an appendix to the Product Definition and Users’ Guide (PUG) containing a detailed description of the ISO series metadata.

The GOES-R Series Program has made sample datasets available that represent initial products generated from the GOES-R ground segment during integration and test of product algorithms. These datasets are intended to give GOES-R users a first look at sample data. This data is provided for reference only and should not be considered final. As the ground system is built, more sample products and updates to the data will be posted as they become available. All datasets are available in NetCDF format.

Additional test data is available through the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Space Science Engineering Center’s Community Satellite Processing Package (CSPP) for Geostationary Data. In March 2015, SSEC announced the release of the CSPP Geo GRB Prototype software package. This is the initial release of software that will allow direct broadcast users to process GOES Rebroadcast (GRB) data received on their antennas from the GOES-R satellite, after it is launched in 2016. The software is publicly available and free to use. The main functionality included in this release is to ingest a simulated GRB data stream, recover Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Level 1 and Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Level 2 data payloads, reconstruct the datasets, and write output to mission-standard NetCDF files.

The minimum system requirements for the CSPP Geo GRB software are:
• 12 core, 2.4 GHz CPU with 64-bit instruction support,
• 32GB RAM,
• CentOS 6 64-bit Linux (or other compatible 64-bit Linux distribution),
• 100 GB disk space

Root access may be needed on the target machine to configure network buffer settings to the recommended sizes.

A simulated ABI / GLM test case is provided, along with a test script that simulates the GRB data stream by sending UDP packets on a socket. In our internal testing, the software was able to keep up with the expected GRB data rate without packet loss when running on the recommended hardware.

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GOES-R Series Data Access Mechanisms

Posted on 2018-09-13

The diversity of the GOES-R user community is reflected in the wide variety and applications of GOES-R series data and products. Larger institutional users can exploit the increases in spectral, temporal, and spatial resolution and assimilate radiances for use in prediction models, increasing the timeliness and accuracy of forecast products. GOES-R data will be used in real time for critical life and property forecasting and warning applications primarily by the National Weather Service, where these users will be able to monitor the rapid development and interaction of severe storms. Other smaller public and private sector users will be able to obtain GOES-R data through their own Earth stations, or through terrestrial network distribution. Learn more about user systems.

GOES-R Series data distribution

GOES-R data products are available using new product distribution and access technologies:

GOES Rebroadcast (GRB) enables direct broadcast users with their own receivers to receive full resolution, calibrated, near real-time direct broadcast data. These data are available to all users with GRB receivers in view of a GOES-R Series satellite at the East or West operational longitudes. GRB is the new data format for GOES-R that replaces the GOES VARiable (GVAR) service. GOES users must upgrade or acquire new antenna and receiver hardware, and acquire processing systems in order to receive the higher volume of GOES-R data via GRB.

GOES Rebroadcast (GRB) distribution

The data available via GRB is ABI L1b, Space Weather L1b, GLM L2. NOAA Satellite Operations Facility receives the GRB data and generates the rest of the Level 2 baseline products.

GOES Rebroadcast Product Users’ Guide

GOES Rebroadcast Downlink Specifications

Satellite Receiving Equipment Manufacturers:

Real-time data is available to authorized users via Product Distribution and Access (PDA) which receives and stores real-time environmental satellite data and products. The Environmental Satellite Processing and Distribution System (ESPDS) is responsible for receiving and storing real-time environmental satellite data and products and making them available to authorized users.

Product Distribution and Access (PDA)

PDA users include approved users with real-time data requirements. PDA distributes all baseline products (ABI L1b, ABI L2+, Space Weather L1b, GLM L2). What you receive depends on your subscription.

PDA replaces the current Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC) systems [Data Distribution Service (DDS), NDE, GOES satepsdist, etc.] It provides a 7-day data catalog for GOES-R and supports FTPS and SFTP protocols.

Users are asked to review the policy on data access and complete a Data Access Request form. The completed Data Access Request form must be submitted to nesdis.data.access@noaa.gov. This does not guarantee access will be granted, but it is the first step in the process.

Requests from international users will be coordinated with the NOAA office of International and Interagency Affairs. Only users who demonstrate a real-time need for data will be granted access.

GOES-R Series data is also available via CLASS, the Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System, a web-based data archive and distribution system for NOAA’s environmental data. CLASS will provide retrospective data access and distribution services of GOES-R data to all users.

GEONETCast Americas is a commercial satellite-based, C-band broadcast of GOES-R series level 2 imagery and other products. These data are available to all users with GNC-A receivers in view of the Intelsat IS-21 satellite located at 58 degrees West Longitude.

GEONETCast-Americas serves most of North, Central, and South America including the Caribbean Basin, utilizing relatively inexpensive satellite receiver stations based on Digital Video Broadcast (DVB-S or S2) standards.

Separate broadcast channels by data provider
Users can choose channels they wish to receive
Training Channel and Alert Channel Included
No restriction on the format of products

GEONETCast

The Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) is an interactive computer system that integrates meteorological and hydrological data, enabling forecasters to prepare forecasts and issue warnings. The NWS is the primary operational user of GOES-R Series data and will receive key data directly from the GOES-R/AWIPS interface.

The Data Collection System (DCS) is a relay system used to collect information from a large number of Earth-based platforms that transmit in-situ environment sensor data on predefined frequencies and schedules, in response to thresholds in sensed conditions, or in response to interrogation signals.

The GOES-R satellite series frequency plan is different from the plan used by the GOES 13, 14 and 15 satellites. GOES Direct Readout Ground Systems (DRGS) currently support the GOES East (GOES-13) DCS downlink in the frequency range of 1694.30 to 1694.70 MHz. The GOES-R series satellites use 1679.70 to 1680.10 MHz to support the DCS downlink. GOES Data Collection System (DCS) users need to modify their Direct Readout Ground Systems (DRGS) to accommodate this change in downlink frequency, to be able to support GOES-16. Note that the GOES-16 frequency plan changes do NOT affect the Data Collection Platform (DCP) UHF-Band uplink transmissions, only the L-Band downlink to NOAA and the DRGSs. There will also be NO frequency changes in the DCS DOMSAT Ku-Band service.

The Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) is a direct service that provides users with weather forecasts, warnings, graphics, and other information directly from the National Weather Service (NWS) in near real time. The GOES EMWIN relay service is one of a suite of methods to obtain these data and display the products on the user’s personal computer. The HRIT (High Rate Information Transmission) service provides broadcast of low-resolution GOES satellite imagery data and selected products to remotely located user HRIT Terminals.

HRIT / EMWIN Prototype Receiver Links and Specifications

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GOES-R Software Tools and Test Data

Posted on 2017-01-03

The GOES-R Series Program has made sample datasets available that represent initial products generated from the GOES-R series ground segment during integration and test of product algorithms. These datasets are intended to give GOES-R users a first look at sample data. This data is provided for reference only and should not be considered final. As the ground system is built, more sample products and updates to the data will be posted as they become available. All datasets are available in NetCDF format.

Example of ABI L1b data for each of the 16 bands as simulated from high resolution numerical weather prediction model output and state-of-the-art radiative transfer models.

Root access may be needed on the target machine to configure network buffer settings to the recommended sizes.

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GOES-R Series User Notification and Feedback

Posted on 2018-09-13

The GOES-R Series user community will be notified of satellite maneuvers and scanning changes the same as legacy systems; through the ESPC Operations listserv which is ESPC.Notification@noaa.gov. Users are encouraged to complete the registration process below to receive the latest available information from NESDIS.

In order to provide critical details regarding the forthcoming switch from GOES VARiable (GVAR) to GOES Rebroadcast (GRB) and from GOES Low Rate Information Transmission (LRIT) provided from the GOES-N series satellites to the new High Rate Information Transmission (HRIT), each user is encouraged to complete the short (5-minute-long) registration process so that the user can receive the latest available information from NESDIS. The secure NOAA site is: https://dcs4.noaa.gov/Account/Login

And click on the link in the lower half of the page labeled:

Register for Direct Readout and Services Notifications

Help us keep you up to date with changes and anomalies!

Your support will be greatly appreciated and will help to keep users up to date.

You can contact Jim McNitt (Direct Readout Program Manager) at james.mcnitt@noaa.gov for additional information about the transition from GVAR to GRB.

We would also like to know whether you are an LRIT user planning to transition to HRIT/EMWIN when GOES-16 becomes the operational GOES-East satellite this fall (or when GOES-S becomes GOES-West in the future) or whether you will have or will install a HRIT/EMWIN system in the near future. Any other feedback on these two systems is welcome. Please feel free to contact the LRIT and HRIT/EMWIN Program Manager seth.clevenstine@noaa.gov for further information regarding the transition and what impacts it could have to your receipt of data.

NOAA’s outreach plan:

Emailing known users to acquire feedback and pushing out DRO registration information to include in master database.
Updating NOAASIS website to provide information regarding HRIT (ie: the changes, manufacturers,
Product User’s Guide, DRO registration, system overview, etc…)
Updating LRIT@NOAA.GOV to a new HRIT@NOAA.GOV, including revised email distribution list of known LRIT/HRIT users.
Communicating with known LRIT/HRIT manufacturers.
Streaming Admin messages via LRIT broadcast pointing to email addresses and websites for further information.
Attending future Satellite User Conferences.

Plan de Divulgación de NOAA:

NOAA se comunicará por correo electrónico con los usuarios conocidos para solicitar retroalimentación e información sobre recepción directa para incluirlos en una base de datos.
NOAA mantendrá actualizada su página de Internet sobre HRIT (es decir, sobre los cambios, proveedores, Guía de Usuarios, recepción directa, etc.)
NOAA realizará la transición de LRIT@NOAA.GOV a la nueva dirección HRIT@NOAA.GOV, incluyendo las listas de distribución de los usuarios conocidos de LRIT/HRIT.
NOAA se mantendrá en comunicación con los proveedores de equipo de recepción de LRIT/HRIT.
NOAA difundirá anuncios administrativos vía LRIT incluyendo correos electrónicos y páginas de Internet donde podrán encontrar mayor información o hacer preguntas.
NOAA participara en conferencias futuras de usuarios de satélites

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GOES-R Training and Resources

Posted on 2018-09-13

The GOES-R Series Program is committed to providing extensive training for the operational and educational communities that will address both the end users’ and developers’ needs, bridging the gap between research and operations. Training will focus on the quantitative and qualitative use of GOES-R data and products, methods for interpreting GOES-R data, new features, capabilities and algorithms, and a better understanding of atmospheric sciences and mesoscale meteorology in preparation for the future GOES-R Series satellites.

GOES-R Series training is developed and provided by a number of partners across the weather enterprise through the GOES-R Proving Ground, e-learning training modules, seminars, weather event simulations, and special case studies.

Conferences and meetings are also important opportunities to reach the user community and to give the program the chance to communicate with different types of users. The GOES-R Program Office participates in and conducts conferences with the user community to keep current with new developments in the program and to assess user readiness. The program also uses these conferences to obtain user feedback; gaining insight from different communities to ensure that user readiness will be achieved. Visit the GOES-R program website for a list of upcoming conferences and events.

The GOES-R Series Program has also begun offering “short courses” in conjunction with meteorological conferences and meetings. These courses are designed to introduce users to the new capabilities made possible by NOAA’s next-generation weather satellite constellation.

GOES-R Training Partners

The Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training (COMET) MetEd Program supports, enhances, and stimulates the communication and application of scientific knowledge of the atmospheric and related sciences for the operational and educational communities. The COMET Distance Education Program training materials include web, CD-ROM, and teletraining methods which serve earth science education and training needs by providing interactive experiences for learners at a distance. Please note: You must sign up for an account in order to access the COMET training modules but there is no fee associated with the training resources.

There are many MetEd resources. A selection of modules specific to GOES-R are listed below. Additional resources relevant to GOES-R can be found at http://www.goes-r.gov/users/training/comet.html. For a complete list of MetEd training resources, visit https://www.meted.ucar.edu/. Courses are available in English, French, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

GOES-R: Benefits of Next-Generation Environmental Monitoring: An overview of the GOES-R mission, instruments, system and services, satellite synergy, the role of GOES-R in the Global Observing System as well as environmental monitoring section that addresses the benefits of GOES-R and the ability to monitor 13 unique hazards and phenomena. This course is available in English and Spanish.

GOES-R ABI: Next Generation Satellite Imaging: This module focuses on the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument, the satellite’s 16-channel imager. The module introduces the ABI’s key features and improvements over earlier GOES imagers and lets users interactively explore the ABI’s 16 channels. It also contains movies that show the advancements that the ABI will bring to a variety of applications and contains additional resources pertaining to the ABI. This course is available in English and Spanish.

GOES-R GLM: Introduction to the Geostationary Lightning Mapper: This module focuses on the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument, the satellite’s lightning mapper. The GLM will provide continuous lightning measurements over a large portion of the Western Hemisphere, mapping total lightning (intra-cloud and cloud–to–ground) flash rates and trends. GLM observations will improve local forecasts and warnings of severe weather and air quality, and provide new data for numerical weather prediction and studies of regional climate and climate change. This course is available in English and Spanish.

GOES-R Satellites Orientation Course: This course consists of three self-paced lessons, “GOES-R: Benefits of Next-Generation Environmental Monitoring,” ”GOES-R ABI: Next Generation Satellite Imaging,” and “GOES-R GLM: Introduction to the Geostationary Lightning Mapper,” that introduces forecasters, students, researchers and other interested learners to the capabilities, products and applications anticipated with the next-generation GOES-R satellites. This course is available in English and Spanish

The Virtual Institute for Satellite Integration Training (VISIT) is a joint effort involving NOAA Cooperative Institutes, the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS), and the National Weather Service (NWS). The primary mission of VISIT is to accelerate the transfer of research results based on atmospheric remote sensing data into NWS operations using distance education techniques. Training sessions include topics on Satellite Meteorology, Severe Weather, Climate, Numerical Weather Prediction, and more. VISIT also provides monthly Satellite Chats to demonstrate satellite products that can be applied to operational forecasting and identify new training topics based on specific participant needs. See the VISIT Training Calendar for upcoming VISIT Satellite Chats. A selection of resources relevant to GOES-R can be found at http://www.goes-r.gov/users/training/visit.html.

NASA’s Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) provides training about specific products, discussing the strengths and weaknesses, with the goal of successfully transitioning products to operations. This training is built from surveys and direct communication with our partners. With this paradigm, the forecasters are an integral component of the transition process and not a passive recipient of data. SPoRT Product Training Modules include: Pseudo Geostationary Lightning Mapper, Lightning Mapping Array, MODIS Fog Products, GOES Fog Depth, and more. A selection of resources relevant to GOES-R can be found at http://www.goes-r.gov/users/training/sport.html.

Satellite Foundational Course for GOES-R/16: This National Weather Service (NWS) Satellite Foundation Course for GOES-R/16 contains 37 short training modules to bring forecasters, the scientific community, and others up-to-date on the capabilities of the GOES-R/GOES-16 satellite. Training developers included the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), COMET, the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT), the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS),and the NWS Office of the Chief Learning Officer (OCLO).

Additional training documents include the GOES-R Training Plan, the GOES-R 101 training presentation, and a variety of fact sheets on GOES-R instruments, ground system and products. A series of ABI bands fact sheets has been created as quick reference guides to provide forecasters with information on each of the GOES-R series Advanced Baseline Imager’s 16 spectral bands. These include two visible channels, four near-infrared channels and ten infrared channels. Each fact sheet covers what the band measures and how this is operationally relevant. The fact sheets also include links for more information.

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Satellite User Readiness Navigator (SATURN)

Preparing for the next generation of meteorological satellites

Author Archives: noaa-generic

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