The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has started collecting scientific information from GOES-19, which is the last of four satellites in its GOES-R series. This craft, designed for gathering sophisticated meteorological observations from geostationary orbit, will capture detailed images of severe storms, wildfires, volcanic activity, and atmospheric conditions, enabling NOAA to observe our planet more clearly than ever before.
The NOAA collaborated with NASA and SpaceX to launch GOES-19 In June 2024, the satellite was initially referred to as GOES-U. Following NOAA’s standard practice for renaming satellites upon reaching their designated orbits, the craft received a new designation after settling into place. Despite being the successor to GOES-16, GOES-17, and GOES-18, this satellite took over from one of them. GOES-16 (previously known as GOES-R), which the NOAA launched In 2016, the agency decided to keep GOES-16 as a backup satellite for emergency use.
Given that GOES-19 is now operational, NOAA has successfully deployed the complete set of GOES-R satellites into orbit, offering the most advanced technology ever launched into space for enhancing Earth’s weather forecasting capabilities, said Stephen Volz, who serves as the assistant administrator at NOAA's satellite services division.
Circling at an altitude of 22,236 miles above Earth’s equator, GOES-19 provides the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with comprehensive coverage of much of the Western Hemisphere. Its primary tool, the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), collects data from 16 distinct spectral bands encompassing visible, near-infrared, and infrared wavelengths. This enables GOES-19 to detect rapid changes in weather conditions, critical storm developments, and disturbances such as smoke. Additionally, this satellite hosts NOAA's inaugural compact coronagraph known as CCOR-1, designed for imaging activities within the corona. Sun's corona To examine coronal mass ejections, also known as CMEs, CMEs These bursts of solar matter are closely linked with solar flares, and both can generate geomagnetic storms , which in sequence can generate radio blackouts and other disruptions.
CCOR-1 represents a significant advancement in safeguarding our country against solar storms by enabling continuous monitoring of colossal bursts of energy from the sun in real-time," stated Clinton Wallace, who leads the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. "Thanks to its enhanced resolution and quicker detection capabilities, CCOR-1 allows for more accurate predictions of hazardous space weather events. These events have the potential to affect satellites, GPS systems, astronaut security, air travel, and electrical networks, thus helping us shield vital technologies and infrastructures as never before.