NOAA investigates GOES-17 satellite image issue
Investigations are underway following performance issues of instruments on GOES-17.
GOES-17, formerly GOES-S, is the second in a new generation of geostationary weather satellites launched by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It's in place to provide high-resolution weather data from the United States to the western Pacific Ocean, including data for Alaska and Hawaii.
"The GOES-R Program is currently addressing a performance issue with the cooling system encountered during commissioning of the GOES-17 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument. The cooling system is an integral part of the ABI and did not start up properly during the on-orbit checkout," NOAA said in a statement on Wednesday, May 23.
This undated photo provided by the United Launch Alliance via NASA shows a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NOAA's GOES-S satellite waits for liftoff on Thursday, March 1, 2018, from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. GOES-S is the second satellite in an approximately $11 billion effort that’s already revolutionizing forecasting with astonishingly fast, crisp images of hurricanes, wildfires, floods, mudslides and other natural calamities. (United Launch Alliance/NASA via AP)
A team comprised of NOAA, NASA and contractors are looking into the issue and "pursuing multiple courses of possible corrective actions."
Infrared and near-infrared channels have been affected on the instrument, according to NOAA. However, visible channels do not appear to have an impact.
“NOAA’s operational geostationary constellation -- GOES-16, operating as GOES-East, GOES-15, operating as GOES-West and GOES-14, operating as the on-orbit spare -- is healthy and monitoring weather across the nation each day, so there is no immediate impact from this performance issue,” NOAA said in the statement.
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