NOAA's GOES-S, T and U Satellites Are Shaping Up

January 10, 2016 | NASA

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

As NOAA's GOES-R satellite goes through mechanical testing in preparation for launch in October 2016, the remaining satellites in the series (GOES-S, T, and U) are also making significant progress.

The GOES-S core module in a clean room at Lockheed Martin’s Littleton, Colorado, facility. The “body” of the satellite, the core module comprises a majority of the structure and propulsion systems.

Credits: Lockheed Martin

Six new instruments will fly aboard each of the GOES-R series satellites: Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS), Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), Magnetometer, Space Environment In Situ Suite (SEISS), and Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI). In addition to these instruments the spacecraft itself, known as the "bus," antennas, flight hardware and software, and other components are also being completed.

Together, the instruments will offer advanced imaging with increased resolution and faster coverage for more accurate forecasts of environmental phenomena like: severe storms, fog, fire, aerosols and volcanic ash, as well as real-time mapping of lightning activity. The instruments will also enable NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center to significantly improve forecasts of space weather hazards.

GOES-S Satellite Progress

All GOES-S instruments have been delivered for integration with the satellite and SUVI and EXIS are already installed on the sun-pointing platform. Significant progress has been made on the GOES-S spacecraft itself. Integration and test of the system module, the “brain” of the satellite, is complete. The “body” of the satellite, the core module comprising a majority of the structure and propulsion systems, was delivered in October. These modules were mated to form the spacecraft in late December.

GOES-S recently completed the technical portion of its system integration review, in which an independent team, spanning several engineering disciplines, determined that the flight and ground segment components are ready for integration with the overall GOES system. The review team also assessed the readiness of the facilities, support personnel, plans and procedures for integration of the GOES-S satellite.

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