On May 11, 2022, NOAA shared the first images of the Western Hemisphere from its GOES-18 satellite. The satellite's Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument recently captured stunning views of Earth.

GOES-18, NOAA's newest geostationary satellite, launched on March 1. The ABI views Earth with sixteen different channels, each measuring energy at different wavelengths along the electromagnetic spectrum to obtain information about Earth's atmosphere, land, and ocean.

GOES-18 orbits 22,236 miles above the equator at the same speed the Earth rotates. This allows the satellite to constantly view the same area of the planet and track weather conditions and hazards as they happen.

The ABI provides high-resolution imagery and atmospheric measurements for short-term forecasts and severe weather warnings. ABI data is also used for detecting and monitoring environmental hazards such as wildfires, dust storms, volcanic eruptions, turbulence, and fog.

Data from multiple ABI channels can be combined to create imagery that approximates what the human eye would see from space-a result known as GeoColor. Combining data from different channels in different ways also allows meteorologists to highlight features of interest.

Recently, GOES-18 observed a number of weather events, environmental phenomena, and striking views of our planet. Storms across east Texas produced large hail, strong wind gusts, and tornadoes. Farther west in New Mexico, strong winds resulted in large areas of blowing dust and expansion of large wildfires. Fog blanketed parts of Chile in South America, and clouds and some thunderstorms formed along sea breezes in the Yucatan and south Florida.

GOES-18 is currently undergoing post-launch testing, validation and calibration of its instruments and systems to prepare it for operations. The ABI cooling system is performing well, with no signs of the issue that affects its sister satellite, GOES-17. The ABI was redesigned for GOES-18 to reduce the likelihood of future cooling system anomalies. The new design uses a simpler hardware configuration that eliminates the filters that are susceptible to debris.

GOES-18 will assist GOES-17 with GOES West operations in late summer 2022 and again in early fall. NOAA plans for GOES-18 to replace GOES-17 as GOES West in early 2023. Imagery from GOES-18 during the post-launch testing phase should be considered preliminary and non-operational.

L3Harris high-resolution weather imager capture first image from space
Melbourne FL (SPX) May 12 - The L3Harris Technologies-built (NYSE:LHX) high-resolution Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) onboard NOAA's newest weather satellite captured its first image since launching into space two months ago - a significant milestone prior to reaching full operational status.

The GOES-18 full disk GeoColor image was captured May 5, 2022. This type of imagery combines data from multiple ABI channels to approximate what the human eye would see from space.

The ABI is the primary instrument for NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-18 (GOES-18) - the third in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites. In addition to the ABI, the L3Harris-developed enterprise ground system downlinks and processes the imagery, controls the weather satellite constellation and its suite of instruments.

Providing high-resolution imagery of weather and environmental systems using 16 spectral bands, the ABI onboard GOES-18 will keep watch over the western contiguous U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Central America and the Pacific against devastating tornadoes, wildfires, dense fog, and other Pacific Ocean-based storms, such as cyclones and hurricanes.

"L3Harris' third Advanced Baseline Imager continues to aid NOAA and the National Weather Service in detecting and monitoring of severe storms, wildfires, and tornadoes, which enable more accurate warnings and severe weather forecasts," said Rob Mitrevski, Vice President and General Manager, Spectral Solutions, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris.

"The technology onboard GOES-18 will allow advanced severe weather information to be received every 30 seconds. We look forward to seeing this satellite transition to full operational capability in the coming months where it can continue our company's legacy of real-time monitoring to save the lives and property of our nation's citizens."

GOES-18 was called GOES-T prior to reaching geostationary orbit on March 14, and is slated to become GOES-West when fully operational. In addition to the third ABI for GOES-18, L3Harris delivered its fourth ABI to NASA in late 2021.

This advanced instrument was integrated into the GOES-U satellite, slated to launch in 2024, which will complete the GOES-R series of advanced geostationary weather sensors, creating a worldwide constellation of seven Advanced Baseline Imager class geostationary instruments - four for NOAA, two for Japan, and one for South Korea. L3Harris is also currently completing imager and sounder concept designs for NOAA's next-generation geostationary satellite mission - Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO).

Download first GOES-18 full disk GeoColor here

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