Weather is always changing
and the better we can predict what’s coming, the better we can prepare.
The GOES-R series, NOAA’s next generation geostationary weather satellites
will be a game-changer for weather forecasting.
For the first time, GOES-R –which will be called GOES-16 once it’s operational in space--
will be able to monitor the Earth in near real time.
Using a powerful new instrument called the Advanced Baseline Imager,
GOES-R gathers data and imagery about weather over the western hemisphere as frequently as every thirty seconds.
This enables NOAA to gather data with 3x more channels, 4x better resolution, 5x faster than before.
Faster, more accurate data means better observations of phenomena
like severe storms, fire, smoke, aerosols, and volcanic ash.
But this is not the only new instrument aboard the satellite.
GOES-R is flying another powerful technology, called the Geostationary Lightning Mapper.
This instrument can not only measure when lightning strikes the ground,
but also lightning activity in the clouds that is charging the atmosphere.
Researchers have found that an increase in lightning activity may be a sign that tornados will form.
GLM will change the way forecasters look at severe weather
to provide faster and more accurate warnings.
All of this new technology means forecasters at NOAA’s National Weather Service will have valuable tools
to improve predictions of severe weather events, like hurricanes,
providing faster warnings to emergency managers to help save lives and protect communities.
Space weather is serious business in the 21st century,
as much of modern life relies on sophisticated electronics systems.
Working with other NOAA satellites,
GOES-R will observe space weather with a suite of instruments that collect information about radiation hazards from the sun.
Space weather can interfere with communications and navigation systems,
damage satellite electrical systems, cause risks to astronauts, and threaten power utilities.
NOAA launched its first geostationary satellite more than 40 years ago.
Since then, the invaluable data from GOES satellites has been essential to countless industries,
like aviation, sea transport, and communications that rely on weather data.
Sitting 22,300 miles above Earth,
the advanced technologies flying on the GOES-R series of satellites
take weather forecasting to new heights.