The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s second modern geostationary weather satellite will be operating over the western U.S., Hawaii, Alaska and Pacific Ocean. The satellite, named GOES-17, is designed to help weather forecasters predict storms, wildfire and other environmental hazards via detailed information, NOAA said Tuesday.
The agency launched GOES-17 in March 2018, adding to the GOES-16 that operates on the program’s eastern coverage. GOES-17 replaces GOES-15 that will cease operations in July after almost eight years of service.
Stephen Volz, director of NOAA’s satellite and information service, said the new satellite’s advanced baseline imager is projected to provide more data by over 97 percent of the original designed capacity.
