GOES Operations

Daily operations of GOES are structured to satisfy the meteorological needs of the National Weather Service, while complying with spacecraft state-of-health requirements and operational constraints. The operational scenarios for GOES feature one of three modes:

1. Full disk mode - consists of a full disk scan of the earth followed by star looks and a blackbody calibration, repeated every half hour;
2. Routine mode - a repeated 3-hour sequence, starting with a full disk scan, followed by:
   • an extended northern hemisphere scan
   • a continental U.S. (CONUS) scan, and
   • a southern hemisphere-south scan;
3. Rapid scan mode - a repeated 3-hour sequence, starting with a full disk scan, followed by:
   • a northern hemisphere scan,
   • a CONUS scan,
   • a small southern hemisphere-south scan,
   • a second CONUS scan,
   • star looks and a blackbody calibration, and
   • five more CONUS scans;

The routine mode of operation effectively results in the continental United States products being produced approximately every fifteen minutes (see timing diagram). The particular mode being used at any given time is driven meteorological activity and determined by NOAA.

At present, NOAAPORT users may determine the scanning scenario in use by keeping track of the products and the order received.