The United States is celebrating an amazing milestone in the world of meteorology: the 50th anniversary of the GOES weather satellites. GOES, short for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite program, has now been operational in space for 50 years. Over this time, NOAA and NASA have partnered to advance NOAA satellite observations from geostationary orbit.
NOAA first launched GOES-1 in 1975, becoming the first geostationary weather satellite in space. Designed to provide continuous observation of the Earth’s atmosphere from a fixed point in space, GOES-1 and subsequent GOES satellites, played a crucial role in revolutionizing weather forecasting by offering near real-time views of weather patterns and providing data for more accurate predictions.
A geostationary orbit is a special type of geosynchronous orbit where a satellite circles the Earth at a specific altitude of approximately 22,236 miles above the equator and at the same speed and direction as the Earth’s rotation. This allows the satellite to appear stationary in the sky from the perspective of an observer on Earth, always viewing the same point on the planet.
By using a geostationary orbit, the GOES weather satellites provide quick access to data and imagery over a specific area without needing to wait for the satellite to loop around the Earth, as is the case with many polar orbiting satellites including the JPSS polar-orbiting weather satellites.
As NOAA, NASA, and the broader meteorological enterprise celebrate the long legacy of the GOES satellites, development of the future generation of geostationary satellites is underway. Scheduled for launch in the early 2030s, as the current GOES approach the end of their operational lifetime, Geostationary Extended Observations, or GeoXO, will provide new and improved observations of the atmosphere, weather and ocean. GeoXO will help address emerging environmental issues, monitor Earth’s climate, and improve forecasting and warning of severe weather and hazards well into the 2050s.
