WEBVTT FILE

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Weather is always changing

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and the better we can predict what’s coming, the better we can prepare.

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The GOES-R series, NOAA’s next generation geostationary weather satellites

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will be a game-changer for weather forecasting.

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For the first time, GOES-R –which will be called GOES-16 once it’s operational in space--

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will be able to monitor the Earth in near real time.

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Using a powerful new instrument called the Advanced Baseline Imager,

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GOES-R gathers data and imagery about weather over the western hemisphere as frequently as every thirty seconds.

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This enables NOAA to gather data with 3x more channels, 4x better resolution, 5x faster than before.

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Faster, more accurate data means better observations of  phenomena

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like severe storms, fire, smoke, aerosols, and volcanic ash.

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But this is not the only new instrument aboard the satellite.

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GOES-R is flying another powerful technology, called the Geostationary Lightning Mapper.

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This  instrument can not only measure when lightning strikes the ground,

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but also lightning activity in the clouds that is charging the atmosphere.

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Researchers have found that an increase in lightning activity may be a sign that tornados will form.

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GLM will change the way forecasters look at severe weather

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to provide faster and more accurate warnings.

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All of this new technology means forecasters at NOAA’s National Weather Service will have valuable tools

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to improve predictions of severe weather events, like hurricanes,

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providing faster warnings to emergency managers to help save lives and protect communities.

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Space weather is serious business in the 21st century,

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as much of modern life relies on sophisticated electronics systems.

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Working with other NOAA satellites,

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GOES-R will observe space weather with a suite of instruments that collect information about radiation hazards from the sun.

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Space weather can interfere with communications and navigation systems,

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damage satellite electrical systems, cause risks to astronauts, and threaten power utilities.

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NOAA launched its first geostationary satellite more than 40 years ago.

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Since then, the invaluable data from GOES satellites has been essential to countless industries,

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like aviation, sea transport, and communications that rely on weather data.

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Sitting 22,300 miles above Earth,

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the advanced technologies flying on the GOES-R series of satellites

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take weather forecasting to new heights.