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GOES-18
GOES-T in the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida in January 2022
Mission typeWeather and Meteorology
OperatorNOAA / NASA
COSPAR ID2022-021A[1]
SATCAT no.51850
Mission duration15 years (planned)
2 years, 9 months, 17 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftGOES
Spacecraft typeGOES-R Series
BusLM-A2100A
ManufacturerLockheed Martin
Launch mass5,192 kg (11,446 lb)
Dry mass2,857 kg (6,299 lb)
Dimensions6.1 × 5.6 × 3.9 m (20 × 18 × 13 ft)
Power4 kW
Start of mission
Launch date1 March 2022, 21:38 UTC
RocketAtlas V 541
Launch siteCape Canaveral, SLC-41
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
Entered service3 January 2023
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeGeostationary orbit
Longitude136.9° west
Semi-major axis42,164.0 km (26,199.5 mi)
Eccentricity0.0001730
Perigee altitude35,957 km (22,343 mi)
Apogee altitude35,972 km (22,352 mi)
Inclination0.0558°
Period24 hours
EpochJune 2, 2022[2][3]

GOES-T mission insignia
← GOES-17
GOES-19 →

GOES-18 (designated pre-launch as GOES-T) is the third of the "GOES-R Series", the current generation of weather satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The current and next satellites of the Series (GOES-16, GOES-17, GOES-18, and GOES-19) will extend the availability of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) satellite system until 2037. The satellite is built by Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado. It is based on the A2100A satellite bus and will have an expected useful life of 15 years (10 operational after five years in orbit replacement).[4]

Benefits and applications

[edit]

The GOES-R Series also continues the legacy Geostationary SAR (GEOSAR) function of the SARSAT system onboard NOAA's GOES satellites which has contributed to the rescue of thousands of individuals in distress. The GOES-R Series SARSAT transponder operates with a lower uplink power than the previous system, enabling GOES-R Series satellites to detect weaker beacon signals.

Redesign

[edit]

In May 2018, NOAA announced that the recently launched GOES-17 satellite was suffering from a severe malfunction in its instrument cooling system which resulted in degraded performance of its infrared sensors. The cause of the problem was determined to be with the loop heat pipe (LHP), which transports heat from the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) to a radiator for rejection into space. Since the LHP design was shared among all four GOES-R Series satellites, a redesign was required to prevent the anomaly from happening again on GOES-T and GOES-U. Lockheed Martin had already completed assembly of GOES-T and had to remove the ABI instrument in October 2018 and ship it to its manufacturer, Harris Corporation, to be rebuilt.[5][nb 1]

Launch

[edit]

GOES-T was launched on March 1, 2022 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida, United States.[6] Because of the repairs to correct the loop heat pipe problem, the launch had slipped from its originally scheduled date of February 16, 2022.[7]

GOES-T was renamed GOES-18 on March 14, 2022 after reaching geostationary orbit. [8]

GOES-18 will undergo a "split" post-launch testing (PLT) phase that will get GOES-18 into position near the current GOES-West location in August 2022, so its Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) data will be available for the "warm" period that degrades some GOES-17 imagery during the height of hurricane season.[9]

The satellite was launched to the regular 89.5 degrees west checkout location and will undergo part one of PLT from this location. GOES-18 will then drift to 136.8 west and perform the remainder of PLT at that location near GOES-West. The 0.4 degree offset from GOES-17 will allow X-band RDL downlink from both GOES-17 and GOES-18. The 0.2 degree offset from 137.0W meet ground system product generation requirements. Both GOES-17 and GOES-18 images will be remapped to 137.0W.[9]

The transition plan allows for early operational use of GOES-18 ABI data after Beta maturity is achieved and incorporates radio frequency conflict mitigation between GOES-17 and GOES-18 and telemetry and command uplinks and downlinks. Users will not need to repoint their antennas. GOES-18 ABI data will be available via a Cloud interface and interleaving with GOES-17 non-ABI product data.[9]

After its operational transition, GOES-18 will be nudged over to the GOES-West position at 137.2W and GOES-17 will drift to 105W and placed in on-orbit storage. Assuming a normal launch and checkout, GOES-18 will transition to become the operational GOES-West satellite in early 2023. [9]

NOAA announced plans to move the geostationary weather satellite into an operational role "as soon as possible" by ensuring GOES-T systems perform as expected before moving it into an operational role.[10]

The ABI data of GOES-T is scheduled to be interleaved in GOES-17 data from August 1 to September 6 and October 15 to November 11, 2022, also the ABI warm periods of GOES-17.[9] GOES-T became operational as GOES-West on January 4, 2023 joining GOES-16 (operating as GOES-East), while GOES-17 was moved to an intermediate position between the two to serve as backup.[11]

The GOES-T launch was dedicated to Mark Timm, with the following message inscribed on the rocket fairing: "In memory of our colleague and friend - Mark Timm - The ULA Team"

Imagery

[edit]
This GOES-18 image shows the contiguous United States observed by each of the ABI's 16 channels on May 5, 2022.

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 captured views of Earth. 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 full disk GeoColor image from May 5, 2022

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

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

GOES-18

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from Grokipedia
GOES-18 is an American geostationary weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), serving as the third spacecraft in the GOES-R Series of advanced environmental satellites developed in partnership with NASA. Launched on March 1, 2022, aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, it was renamed from GOES-T upon reaching geostationary orbit on March 14, 2022, and became fully operational as GOES West in January 2023, replacing GOES-17 in monitoring the western United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean basins. Positioned at approximately 137.2 degrees west longitude, GOES-18 provides continuous, high-resolution observations essential for severe weather forecasting, including real-time imagery of cloud cover, atmospheric motion, and tropical cyclone tracking across the Western Hemisphere in coordination with GOES-19 (GOES East). Its primary instrument, the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), delivers imagery five times faster, with four times the spatial resolution and three times more spectral channels than previous GOES imagers, enabling detailed views of weather phenomena such as hurricanes, wildfires, and fog. Complementing this, the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) is the first operational geostationary instrument dedicated to mapping lightning activity, detecting 70-90% of flashes to improve tornado and severe storm warnings. For space weather monitoring, GOES-18 carries the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) to image solar corona activity, the Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) for solar radiation measurements, the Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS) to detect particle fluxes from solar events, and an upgraded to measure variations. These instruments support alerts for geomagnetic storms that could disrupt power grids, , and operations. A key design improvement in GOES-18 is its enhanced ABI cooling system, which mitigates contamination issues observed in GOES-17, ensuring reliable performance throughout its planned 10-year mission life, extendable to 15 years. As of November 2025, GOES-18 continues to deliver critical data to NOAA's and international partners, contributing to improved public safety and economic resilience against environmental hazards.

Development

GOES-R series context

The GOES-R Series represents NOAA's next-generation geostationary operational environmental satellites, designed to provide enhanced observations of Earth's weather, oceans, and environment, as well as monitoring, with launches commencing in 2016 and comprising four spacecraft designated GOES-16 through GOES-19. These satellites operate from approximately 35,800 kilometers above the equator, enabling continuous coverage over the from fixed positions. The series evolved from earlier GOES generations to overcome limitations in imaging resolution, scan speed, and spectral coverage observed in predecessors like the GOES I-M series (launched 1994–2002) and the GOES N-Q series (launched 2006–2011), which provided foundational but coarser data for weather and tracking. By introducing advanced sensors, the GOES-R Series achieves finer (down to 0.5 km for visible imagery), faster full-disk scans (every 5 minutes versus 15–30 minutes previously), and broader multispectral capabilities to support improved forecasting, severe storm detection, and environmental analysis. Key objectives include real-time monitoring of atmospheric conditions, activity, solar events, and oceanic phenomena to enhance hurricane tracking, detection, and , ultimately extending operational geostationary coverage through 2036. The program, initiated in development around 2006, is jointly managed by NOAA with technical oversight from , including spacecraft procurement at Goddard Space Flight Center and launch support at ; Lockheed Martin serves as the prime contractor for the satellites, with a total life-cycle cost of approximately $10.86 billion (in FY 2012 dollars). GOES-18, originally designated GOES-T prior to launch, forms the third element of this series.

Design and redesign

GOES-18, originally designated GOES-T, utilizes the A2100 satellite bus developed by , which was modified to meet the operational and environmental demands of the GOES-R series, including three-axis stabilization and support for advanced payloads in . This bus provides a proven platform with scalable power, propulsion, and attitude control systems tailored for long-duration missions. A significant redesign effort began in following the discovery of cooling system anomalies in the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on during its post-launch testing. The ABI experienced intermittent overheating in its detectors due to failures in the loop heat pipe (LHP) subsystem, which uses fluid and is prone to blockages from debris, leading to degraded performance in certain orbital seasons. To address this, engineers implemented modifications to the GOES-18 ABI cooling system, including a simpler hardware configuration for the radiator and LHP assembly, the use of fluid instead of to improve , and the elimination of debris-susceptible filters. These changes enhanced overall thermal management and reduced the risk of similar anomalies without altering the core imaging capabilities. Assembly and integration of GOES-18 commenced at Lockheed Martin's facility in , with key components like the propulsion core module delivered by mid-2017 for initial buildup. Environmental testing, including vibration and thermal vacuum simulations to replicate launch and space conditions, was completed in early 2021, paving the way for shipment to the launch site. The redesign was driven by lessons learned from the GOES-17 ABI issues, aiming to bolster system reliability and ensure the satellite could fulfill its 15-year design life, with at least 10 years of active operations after potential on-orbit storage. This focus on anomaly prevention allowed GOES-18 to achieve full ABI performance during its own post-launch checkout, with no cooling-related problems reported.

Spacecraft

Specifications

GOES-18 is built on the A2100A , which provides the foundational platform for its geostationary operations. The measures 6.1 m in height, 5.6 m in width, and 3.9 m in depth when stowed for launch. It has a launch of 5,192 kg, including propellants, and a dry of 2,857 kg. The power system relies on deployable solar arrays that generate approximately 5 kW of power at the beginning of life, with lithium-ion batteries providing backup during eclipse periods to ensure continuous operation. These batteries, with the batteries providing a total capacity supporting up to 4,750 W for 1.2 hours at half discharge, maintain power stability across the 15-year design life. Propulsion is achieved through a bipropellant using fuel and nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer, with monopropellant thrusters for orbit insertion, station-keeping, and attitude adjustments; the includes a liquid apogee engine and arcjet thrusters for efficient long-term maneuvering. This configuration supports the spacecraft's expected operational lifespan of 15 years, extending at least until 2037 following its 2022 launch. Attitude control employs three-axis stabilization, utilizing six assemblies for primary momentum management, two inertial measurement units with gyroscopes for rate sensing, three assemblies for precise orientation, and sun sensors for redundancy, enabling geostationary pointing accuracy within 184.5 μrad (3σ) per axis.
ParameterSpecification
Stowed Dimensions6.1 m × 5.6 m × 3.9 m
Launch 5,192 kg
Dry 2,857 kg
Solar Array Power (BOL)~5 kW
Batteries2 lithium-ion, 6,120 Wh each
Propulsion Fuel (1,626 kg) + NTO (700 kg)
Design Life15 years (to ≥2037)
Attitude Control3-axis stabilized; 6 , 3

Instruments and payload

The GOES-18 satellite, as part of the GOES-R series, carries a suite of advanced instruments designed to observe Earth's weather, environment, and conditions from . These instruments include the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) for Earth imaging, the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) for lightning detection, the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) for solar monitoring, the Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) for solar irradiance measurements, the Magnetometer (MAG) for magnetic field monitoring, the Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS) for particle radiation assessment, and a for attitude determination. The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) is the primary instrument for imaging Earth's weather, oceans, and environment, operating across 16 spectral bands: two in the visible, four in the near-infrared, and ten in the . It achieves a of 0.5 km in the visible band at 0.64 µm, 1 km for other visible and near-infrared bands, and 2 km for bands longer than 2 µm. The ABI supports multiple scan modes, including full-disk scans every 5 minutes in Mode 4, (CONUS) scans covering 3000 km x 5000 km every 5 minutes, and mesoscale sector scans of 1000 km x 1000 km every 30 to 60 seconds. On GOES-18, the ABI features a redesigned and loop heat pipes to enhance cooling reliability, addressing issues observed on GOES-17. The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) detects and maps activity in real time across the and adjacent ocean regions up to 52° . It operates in a single optical band at 777.4 nm with a frame rate of 2 ms, achieving a near-uniform of approximately 10 km—8 km at and 14 km at the edge of the field of view—and a flash detection of 70-90% for total lightning, including in-cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-to-ground events, day and night. The Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) monitors the Sun's corona and active regions in the spectrum using six wavelength passbands. It captures full-disk solar images around the clock to detect solar flares, , filament eruptions, and coronal mass ejections, with imaging cadences ranging from 1 to 12 minutes depending on the operational mode. These observations enable analysis of coronal plasma temperatures and emission measures for assessment. The Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) consist of two components: the X-Ray Sensor (XRS), which measures solar X-ray fluxes to detect flares causing radio blackouts and predict solar proton events, and the Sensor (EUVS), which monitors EUV irradiance variations impacting the and . Together, they provide continuous measurements of solar energy inputs into Earth's upper atmosphere on timescales from seconds to years, supporting forecasts and models of atmospheric variability. The instrument has a mass of 30 kg, consumes 40 watts of power, and generates data rates of 7.2 Kbps in X-band and 0.9 Kbps in L-band. The Magnetometer (MAG) measures the three components of the geomagnetic field in geosynchronous orbit with a resolution of 0.016 nT and a response frequency of 2.5 Hz. Deployed on a boom for magnetic isolation after launch, it detects variations in Earth's magnetic field to monitor geomagnetic storms and space environment dynamics affecting charged particles in the magnetosphere. The Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS) comprises four sensors to monitor particle radiation in geostationary orbit: the Energetic Heavy Ion Sensor (EHIS) for heavy ion fluxes, the Magnetospheric Particle Sensor Low Energy (MPS-LO) for electron and proton fluxes from 30 eV to 30 keV, the Magnetospheric Particle Sensor High Energy (MPS-HI) for medium- and high-energy protons and electrons, and the Solar and Galactic Proton Sensor (SGPS) for solar and galactic protons. These measurements assess risks from electrostatic discharge, radiation hazards to satellites and astronauts, and high-flux events impacting communications, contributing to space weather scales and forecasts. The is a wide field-of-view system with three optical heads (two active, one spare) that provides precise attitude determination and acquisition from unknown initial conditions, delivering updates at rates up to 20 Hz in tracking mode and supporting image navigation for instruments like the ABI. Integrated into the spacecraft's subsystem, it interfaces via and synchronizes with a 20 Hz external reference for real-time orientation compensation.

Launch

Preparation and vehicle

Following the successful completion of pre-shipment reviews in October 2021, GOES-T (later designated GOES-18) was transported via U.S. Air Force C-5 cargo aircraft and arrived at in on November 10, 2021. The satellite was then moved to the nearby Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville for prelaunch processing, which included final system checkouts and preparations for integration with the . personnel oversaw these activities as part of the mission assurance process, ensuring compliance with safety and performance standards established for the GOES-R series. Prior to shipment, GOES-T underwent rigorous environmental testing at Lockheed Martin's facility in , including vibration tests in February 2021 to simulate launch stresses, thermal vacuum testing in a chamber replicating space conditions from -67°F to 188°F, acoustic testing at 138.4 decibels, and shock tests for component separations. At Astrotech, additional checkouts focused on the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and overall spacecraft functionality to verify readiness for encapsulation and launch. These tests confirmed the satellite's structural integrity and operational reliability, building on lessons from earlier GOES-R missions. The launch vehicle, a (ULA) 541, departed ULA's facility on November 7, 2021, via the R/S RocketShip vessel and arrived at on November 15, 2021. Configured with five solid rocket boosters for enhanced thrust and a single-engine upper stage, the 541 was selected for its proven reliability in delivering GOES-R series satellites to geosynchronous transfer , as demonstrated in the launches of and GOES-17. At the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) adjacent to Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41), the encapsulated satellite was attached to the Atlas booster core on February 17, 2022, following its encapsulation within the 17.7-foot at Astrotech in mid-February 2022. Mission assurance incorporated contingency planning for potential weather delays or vehicle issues, drawing from experiences with prior GOES-R launches that featured multi-day windows to mitigate risks such as high winds or upper-level shear. NASA's Launch Services Program coordinated these measures at , including redundant communication paths and launch rehearsals to ensure mission success even under suboptimal conditions.

Launch timeline

The GOES-T satellite lifted off on March 1, 2022, at 21:38 UTC from Space Launch Complex 41 in , carried atop an 541 launch vehicle provided by . The ascent profile followed a standard sequence for geostationary missions: separation occurred at T+2:15, marking the end of their powered flight. The core stage's engine continued burning until stage separation at T+4:20, transitioning control to upper stage, which then executed a series of burns to propel the payload toward a supersynchronous geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). The 's maneuvers resulted in an initial GTO characterized by an apogee altitude of approximately 35,000 km and a perigee altitude of about 250 km, optimized to minimize fuel use for subsequent operations. GOES-T separated from the Centaur stage approximately 3 hours 30 minutes after liftoff, beginning independent flight. Over the following two weeks, the spacecraft conducted three apogee burns with its onboard liquid apogee engine to raise the perigee, reduce inclination, and circularize the orbit at geostationary altitude, completing the insertion by March 14, 2022. During orbit raising, a minor software issue caused a brief pause, but operations resumed successfully. The satellite was then positioned at 89.5° W for initial post-launch testing before drifting to approximately 136.8° W in June 2022. With orbit stabilization achieved, GOES-T was officially redesignated as GOES-18.

Operations

Commissioning phase

Following its launch on March 1, 2022, and arrival in on March 14, 2022, GOES-18 entered the commissioning phase, which spanned from March to December 2022 and involved rigorous post-launch testing to verify instrument functionality and system performance. This phase included an initial checkout of all instruments beginning March 24, 2022, shortly after orbit insertion, ensuring alignment with mission requirements before full operational handover. The testing was structured in a split format: Part 1 from March 24 to May 15 at 89.5° W longitude, followed by a drift to 136.8° W completed on June 6, with Part 2 commencing June 7 at that position and final station-keeping maneuvers placing the satellite at 137.0° W by July 21, 2022. Key activities focused on instrument verification, including full-disk imaging tests with the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), which produced its first high-resolution images of Earth on May 11, 2022, demonstrating the instrument's capability for continuous hemispheric scans every 10 minutes and targeted mesoscale scans. The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) underwent validation of its lightning detection capabilities through interleaved data collection with during warm observation periods, confirming full-disk coverage and event detection accuracy for monitoring. Similarly, the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) conducted solar imaging calibration against pre-launch ground references, with observations beginning June 24, 2022, and first imagery released on July 19, 2022, validating its multi-wavelength imaging of solar activity. ABI provisional maturity was achieved on July 27, 2022, after these tests, with further interleaved operations alongside from August 1 to September 8 and October 13 to November 16, 2022, to assess data continuity. Minor anomalies were encountered and resolved during commissioning, including initial attitude adjustments during the orbital drift to maintain precise pointing, and a "barcode artifact" in ABI Band 7 identified in June 2022, which caused intermittent line artifacts in imagery but had no significant impact on and was unrelated to the instrument's cooling system. The ABI's redesigned cooling system, modified from the configuration to incorporate simpler hardware and loop heat pipes for improved reliability, performed without failures, confirming the success of these pre-launch enhancements in preventing thermal anomalies. Upon completion of testing in December 2022, GOES-18 was transitioned to on-orbit standby at approximately 136.9° W following handover to NOAA in 2022, where it remained in a reduced operational mode with product validation continuing until January 3, 2023, in preparation for replacing as the operational GOES-West satellite.

Operational deployment

Following the successful completion of its commissioning phase, GOES-18 was declared operational as the GOES-West satellite on January 4, 2023, replacing GOES-17, which was transitioned to on-orbit storage. The satellite is positioned at 137.0° W longitude in geostationary orbit, providing continuous coverage of the western hemisphere, including the western United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean. In ongoing operations, GOES-18 transmits continuous data downlinks to primary ground stations, including those at , , and supports real-time processing through integration with NOAA's ground systems. The spacecraft performs periodic station-keeping maneuvers every few weeks to maintain its orbital position and inclination. As of November 2025, GOES-18 remains fully operational with no major anomalies reported across its instruments and subsystems. It is projected to reach end-of-life in 2040. GOES-18 complements GOES-19 at the GOES-East position, enabling the network to provide full-disk coverage of the Western Hemisphere.

Applications

Meteorological observations

The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on GOES-18 provides high-resolution imagery across 16 spectral bands, enabling detailed cloud tracking and monitoring of storm development for severe weather alerts, including hurricanes and thunderstorms. This instrument generates derived motion winds by tracking the movement of cloud features and water vapor patterns in sequences of visible and infrared images, offering wind vectors that support nowcasting of storm motion and intensity changes. Additionally, ABI-derived cloud-top temperatures, retrieved using infrared bands to estimate heights, pressures, and temperatures, help forecasters assess storm severity by identifying overshooting tops associated with strong updrafts in thunderstorms. The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) complements ABI data by delivering real-time mapping of total activity, including in-cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-to-ground flashes, across the satellite's field of view. Rapid increases in lightning flash rates detected by GLM serve as early indicators for formation, large , and damaging winds, allowing integration into forecasts to extend warning lead times for severe thunderstorms. Positioned at 137.2° West in , GOES-18 conducts full-disk scans every 10 minutes to monitor broad-scale weather, including Pacific hurricanes and typhoons, while its CONUS sector provides higher-resolution updates every 5 minutes over the for tracking fronts and . For instance, in July 2025, ABI imagery captured the well-defined eye of Hurricane Flossie as it intensified into a Category 2 storm in the eastern Pacific. Similarly, in September 2025, the satellite imaged Hurricane Kiko's eye wall during its rapid strengthening, aiding real-time intensity assessments. Over the western U.S., GOES-18 has supported monitoring, such as tracking plumes from multiple blazes in August and September 2025, which affected air quality across the Pacific Northwest. GOES-18 Level 2 products, including rainfall rate estimates in millimeters per hour derived from ABI and data integration, are disseminated rapidly through NOAA's Dissemination Program, enabling forecasters to access them within minutes for applications like prediction. These products, generated at 2 km resolution, provide quality flags and are available via cloud-based platforms to support operational weather services across the hemisphere.

Search and rescue

GOES-18 contributes to the Geostationary Search and Rescue (GEOSAR) system as part of the international Cospas-Sarsat network, which coordinates distress signal detection across multiple nations' satellites. The satellite's onboard SARSAT transponder processes 406 MHz signals emitted by personal locator beacons (PLBs), emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) on aircraft, and emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) on vessels, relaying encoded data including beacon identification and location to local user terminals (LUTs) for forwarding to rescue coordination centers (RCCs). Positioned at 137° West longitude as GOES-West since January 2023, GOES-18 provides continuous coverage over the Americas and eastern Pacific Ocean, enabling near-real-time detection without the orbital passes required by low-Earth-orbit satellites. This geostationary vantage allows for an average first-detection advantage of 46 minutes compared to low-Earth-orbit components, with alerts typically processed and delivered to RCCs within minutes of signal reception due to the satellite's persistent view of its footprint. The system collaborates with COSPAS satellites from and other international GEOSAR assets, such as those from and , to achieve global 406 MHz coverage excluding polar regions. Following its operational activation in January 2023, GOES-18 began supporting missions as part of the U.S.-operated GEOSAR segment. In 2024, NOAA's , including GOES-18, facilitated the of 411 in U.S. waters and territories through detection of 406 MHz . For instance, on June 1, 2024, a signal detected by the GEOSAR constellation, relayed via GOES-18's coverage area, enabled the U.S. to eight individuals from a sinking approximately 30 miles southwest of . Another case occurred in August 2024, when a similar alert from an ELT in Alaskan waters, processed through the network, supported the recovery of a downed pilot. In 2025, as of November, the system has facilitated the of 272 , including five individuals saved after their boat capsized off the coast of on August 28. These operations underscore GOES-18's role in enhancing response times for maritime and emergencies within its geostationary footprint.

References

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  37. https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/03/10/goes-t-resumes-orbit-raising-after-minor-snag/
  38. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/goes-18-goes-west-satellite-continues-post-launch-testing-prepare-operations
  39. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaa-shares-first-imagery-goes-18-suvi-instrument
  40. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/earth-orbit-noaas-goes-18-now-goes-west
  41. https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/operations/goes/status.html
  42. https://www.satsig.net/pointing/satellite-station-keeping.htm
  43. https://database.eohandbook.com/database/missionsummary.aspx?missionID=727
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/goes/
  45. https://www.goes-r.gov/products/baseline-derived-motion-winds.html
  46. https://www.goes-r.gov/products/baseline-cloud-top-temp.html
  47. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/our-satellites/currently-flying/goes-east-west/geostationary-lightning-mapper-glm
  48. https://www.facebook.com/NOAASatellites/videos/imagery-via-noaas-goes-west-goes-18-satellite-shows-an-eye-developing-as-hurrica/1446712309848566/
  49. https://www.facebook.com/NOAASatellites/videos/yesterday-noaas-goes-west-goes-18-satellite-captured-this-stunning-imagery-of-th/2685173901813782/
  50. https://www.facebook.com/NOAASatellites/videos/several-wildfires-continue-to-burn-across-the-western-us-this-week-as-noaas-goes/1318343176664699/
  51. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.ncdc:C01517
  52. https://www.noaa.gov/nodd/datasets
  53. https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/goesr/product_cp_rain.php
  54. https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/
  55. https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/cospas-sarsat
  56. https://www.goes-r.gov/mission/ups.html
  57. https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/emergency-406-beacons/
  58. https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/search-and-rescue-satellites/
  59. https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/faqs/
  60. https://www.unoosa.org/documents/pdf/psa/activities/2006/safrica/presentations/03-02-02.pdf
  61. https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024-SAR-WKSHOP_SARSAT-Overview.pdf
  62. https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-satellites-were-pivotal-in-rescue-of-411-lives-in-2024
  63. https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/sarsat-us-rescues/
  64. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/global-search-and-rescue-day-will-recognize-international-effort-save-people-distress
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