GOES-14 NOAA/Science Post Launch Test (PLT) (Page last updated: 2009-11-18)

GOES-O was launched on 27 June 2009 and successfully reached geostationary orbit at 89.5 West longitude on 8 July 2009 to officially become GOES-14. The first official visible, IR, and Sounder images have since been taken. The main part of the Science Test will occur in December 2009.

A GOES Readiness Review sponsored by Office of Satellite Data Processing & Distribution (OSDPD) will be held on 20 November. Presentations will be given by Don Hillger and Tim Schmit, as well as several others. Don and Tim's presentations can be downloaded below:

• Don Hillger's PowerPoint presentation (an overview of the NOAA science test) is posted at GOES-14_Science_Test_Hillger.pptx
• Tim Schmit's PowerPoint presentation (on preliminary results) is posted at GOES-14_Schmit_readiness_review.ppt

For further information about the meeting, contact Louis Cambardella at Louis.Cambardella@noaa.gov

• Don Hillger's PowerPoint presentation (on the NOAA science test overview) is posted at GOES-14_Science_Test_Hillger.pptx
• Tim Schmit's PowerPoint presentation (on preliminary results) is posted at GOES-14_Schmit_CWG.ppt
• Fred Wu's PowerPoint presentation (on calibration support) is posted at GOES-14_Wu_PLT.ppt

2009 August 26:

The image below is a comparison of GOES-12 and GOES-14 Imager band-6, showing the improved spatial resolution provided by the GOES-14 Imager in this band. This image also confirms the correction for the detector ordering of Imager band-6.

See also a PowerPoint presentation, which includes before and after slides showing the band-6 detector reordering for GOES-14 images.

2009 August 21:

Statement about Investigation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-14) Imager Channel 6 (13.3 µm) Line Switch Anomaly: During the Post Launch Test (PLT), STAR scientists at CIMSS found that the Channel 6 image appeared fuzzy. This was also observed by scientists at NASA, and confirmed by the OSDPD and by STAR scientists at CIRA. This is the channel for which dual detectors replaced the earlier design of single detector for GOES-12/13. Ensuing investigation at the Office of Satellite Operations (OSO), NASA, and STAR revealed that data from the two detectors were not in proper order in the GOES Variables (GVAR) data stream. With the data re-ordered, the image becomes normal. OSO engineers currently have a software solution to this anomaly. Compared to GOES-12, the new capability of imaging at higher spatial resolution by this channel of GOES-14 significantly improves the quality of the imagery. [Contributed by F. Wu, with input from several NOAA and NASA scientists.]

See also the following NASA links, where it is noted that "The satellite and instrument performed well. However, the ground system had problems writing the new rebroadcast format for channels 3 and 6, where the right-hand side of the image was partly over-written with the left-hand side. The post-launch checkout is performed to discover and fix such problems": http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/goes/090817_GOES14_firstir_I06_small.jpg and/or http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/goes14results.html.

2009 August 18:

A comparison of the first GOES-14 Sounder images from 1946 UTC on 18 August 2009 to equivalent GOES-12 imagery.

See also a PowerPoint presentation, which includes slides of the first GOES-14 images.

2009 August 17:

The first GOES-14 full-disk Imager infrared images were transmitted at 1732 UTC on 17 August 2009.

A comparison of the first GOES-14 full-disk infrared images to equivalent GOES-12 imagery.

For some larger full-disk images, see http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/GOES-14FirstImage.php and http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/media/spotlight/goes14/ir.html

2009 July 27:

The first GOES-14 full-disk Imager visible image was transmitted at 1730 UTC on 27 July 2009.

For a larger version of the image click here.

For other higher-resolution GOES-14 visible images see the CIMSS Satellite Blog.

2009 July 08:

GOES-O successfully reached geostationary orbit at 89.5 West longitude on 8 July 2009 to officially become GOES-14.

2009 June 27:

GOES-O was successfully launched on 27 June 2009 at approximately 18:51 EDT from Cape Canaveral.

For launch photos, see http://www.launchphotography.com/GOES-O.html

All indications are that the spacecraft is healthy. Over the next 10 days the spacecraft will be raised to geosynchronous orbit at 90 degrees west longitude where it will be check out by Boeing until 17 July 2009. NASA will then take the lead for fully activation the satellite instruments and services over the next 6 months.

The GOES-O Science Test, which will be conducted about 150 days (5 months) after the launch of GOES-O, will start in the late-November/December 2009 time frame.

2009 June 25:

2009 February 24:

• The major change with GOES-O will be the improved spatial resolution of the 13.3 μm band, as explained in a one-slide summary. (PDF)
• The increased spatial resolution will require a change in the GOES Variable data format.
• GOES-O calibration page: http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/calibration/ (provided by Mat Gunshor/CIMSS)

Reference Information/Websites:

See also the following information about GOES-O:

• GOES-O Mission Booklet from United Launch Alliance (~1 MB PDF, June 2009).
• NOAA/NESDIS: GOES-O Spacecraft (including GOES-O Data Book, 20 MB, February 2009)
• NASA GSFC: GOES-O Mission Overview video
• NASA GSFC: GOES-O Spacecraft
• NASA-HQ: GOES-O Mission Page
• Boeing: GOES-N/P
• GOES-O fact sheet: front and back (PDFs, August 2008)
• GOES-O fact sheet: front and back (PDFs, May 2008)

A similar Science Test was conducted for GOES-13 in December 2006. See the GOES-13 Science Test page for information on that event.

If you would like to be (or know of someone else who should be) on the mailing list to be notified of updates to GOES Science Test information, send an e-mail message to: hillger@cira.colostate.edu or Don.Hillger@noaa.gov