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- GOES satellites provide the kind of continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. They circle the Earth in a geosynchronous orbit, which means they orbit the equatorial plane of the Earth at a speed matching the Earth's rotation. This allows them to hover continuously over one position on the surface. The geosynchronous plane is about 35,800 km (22,300 miles) above the Earth, high enough to allow the satellites a full-disc view of the Earth. Because they stay above a fixed spot on the surface, they provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms, and hurricanes. When these conditions develop the GOES satellites are able to monitor storm development and track their movements. GOES satellite imagery is also used to estimate rainfall during the thunderstorms and hurricanes for flash flood warnings, as well as estimates snowfall accumulations and overall extent of snow cover. Such data help meteorologists issue winter storm warnings and spring snow melt advisories. Satellite sensors also detect ice fields and map the movements of sea and lake ice. NASA launched the first GOES for NOAA in 1975 and followed it with another in 1977. Currently, the United States is operating GOES-10 and GOES-12. (GOES-9, which is partially operational, is being provided to the Japanese Meteorological Agency to replace their failing geostationary satellite.) GOES-11 is being stored in orbit as a replacement for GOES-12 or GOES-10 in the event of failure. Additional Information on GOES Satellites: "http://www.oso.noaa.gov/goes/"
To view a 3D orbit of GOES satellites, observe the J Track satellite tracking web page at: "http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/realtime/jtrack/"
[Summary Extracted from the NOAA Office of Satellite Operations Home Page]
Group: Platform_Details Entry_ID: GOES Group: Platform_Identification Platform_Category: Earth Observation Satellites Platform_Series_or_Entity: GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) Short_Name: GOES Long_Name: NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites End_Group Group: Synonymous_Platform_Names Short_Name: GOES-1 Short_Name: GOES-2 Short_Name: GOES-3 Short_Name: GOES-4 Short_Name: GOES-5 Short_Name: GOES-6 Short_Name: GOES-7 Short_Name: GOES-8 Short_Name: GOES-9 Short_Name: GOES-10 Short_Name: GOES-11 Short_Name: GOES-12 Short_Name: GOES-13 Short_Name: GOES-N End_Group Group: Platform_Associated_Instruments Short_Name: SEM Short_Name: SAR Short_Name: HEPAD Short_Name: MAGNETOMETERS Short_Name: VAS Short_Name: VISSR Short_Name: GOES I-M SOUNDER Short_Name: GOES I-M IMAGER Short_Name: SXI End_Group Group: Orbit Orbit_Altitude: 35,800 km (22,300 miles) Orbit_Inclination: 0.41 degrees Period: 1,436 minutes Repeat_Cycle: GOES flies in an orbit above the equator at the same rate as the equator turns -- one cycle per day. Apogee: 400 000 km (240 000 mi) Orbit_Type: GEO > Geosynchronous > Geostationary End_Group Creation_Date: 2007-05-08 Online_Resource: http://www.oso.noaa.gov/goes/ Online_Resource: http://www.goes.noaa.gov/ Online_Resource: http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Online_Resource: http://goespoes.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/index.html Online_Resource: http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/text/goes.databook.html Online_Resource: http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/goesfaq.html Sample_Image: http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/thenextgeneration.gif Group: Platform_Logistics Launch_Site: Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center, USA Design_Life: 7 to 11 years Primary_Sponsor: USA/NASA Primary_Sponsor: USA/NOAA End_Group End_Group
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