GOES-7 STATUS 11 January 1995 edition

NOAA notes

Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 14:26:47 +0500
From: gdavis@nesdis.noaa.gov (Gary K. Davis)

For you GOES-7 enthusiasts
GOES-7 took what might be its last image at 1331z on January 11, 1996.

It was launched on February 26,1987 and went operational on March 25,1987 at
75¡W.  It was moved to 108¡W February 1989 as "GOES Prime" a one-GOES system
following the January 1989 failure of GOES-6.  It was then moved to 98¡ in
July 1989 for hurricane season. It was moved back to 108¡ in November 1989
for the Pacific storm season.  It was moved back in 98¡ July 1990, then to
108¡ November 1990, back to 98¡ July 91, to 112¡in April 1992 when
Meteosat-3 was brought to 75¡ and finally to 135¡ in January 1995 following
the commissioning of GOES-8.
The spacecraft was operational for over 8 years 9.5 months
We took
61,937 full disks
137,794 partial disks
1,147 special storm scans
Toatal images 200,878
Total soundingss 77,504
Total scans 278,382

It was truly the GOES workhouse and to all who made it happen congratulations.

Subject: IMPORTANT:  GOES-7 SHUT DOWN!
From: jhawkins@nesdis.noaa.gov (Jamie Hawkins)
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 13:44:27 +0500

IMPORTANT NOTICE:


        All operations from NOAA's nine-year old GOES-7 satellite will end
Thursday January 11, 1996 at 14:00GMT.   The last image will begin at 13:30GMT.

        NOAA has used many avenues to spread this message for several months
and hopes that all GOES-7 direct readout users have had the opportunity to
recongiure systems for the new GOES-9 spacecraft.

        GOES-9 is drifting westward past 125 degrees West at 0.93 degrees
per day.  GOES-9 will arrive at its operational station on January 22nd.
Imaging operations continue during the move, with image motion compensation
(IMC) off.

        The government furlough (and the blizzard) have kept many NOAA
employees away from their desks for nearly three weeks, but the computer
operators and analysts, satellite operators, engineers, programmers and
other dedicated personnel of NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data,
and Information Service have kept this crucial effort on track, with the
promise of providing unprecedented satellite surveillence of the Pacific
region.  Hats off to these remarkable civil servants (who still haven't
gotten a full pay check...) who are among the many that will go unnoticed or
underappreciated by most of the public.

        Any GOES-West users running into trouble acquiring or processing
GOES-9 data may contact me at the email address above, or via phone
(beginning January 11th) at 301-457-5125.


....................................
Jamison Hawkins
GOES Product Manager
NOAA/NESDIS
jhawkins@nesdis.noaa.gov
301-457-5125
....................................

Subject: TRANSFER OF GOES-7 OPERATIONS TO GOES-9
From: "Soracco, Michael" 
Date: Thu, 04 Jan 96 16:16:34 EST

GOES-9, planned to replace GOES-7 at 135 degrees West, is 
currently moving to the west at 0.93 degrees per day.  As of 
today, January 4, 1996, GOES-9 is located near 118 degrees West.  
It is scheduled to arrive at its new GOES-West station on or near 
January 22, 1996. 
     
IMPORTANT! -- PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT AS GOES-9 APPROACHES GOES-7, 
ALL OPERATIONS INCLUDING IMAGING AND SOUNDING FUNCTIONS WILL BE 
TURNED OVER FROM GOES-7 TO GOES-9 ON JANUARY 11, 1996.  GOES-9 
will be near 125 degrees West on the 11th.  The last multispectral 
image transmitted by the GOES-7 VAS will be at 1331 UTC.  The 1348 
UTC GOES-7 dwell sounding will be canceled.  At 1400 UTC, 
exclusive GOES-9 imager and sounder data transmissions will 
commence.  GOES-West WEFAX products and DCS operations will also 
transfer to GOES-9 near 1400 UTC.
     
The final GOES-7 GOES-Tap product reflecting a data time of 1330 
UTC will be disseminated at 1400 UTC.  The first operational 
GOES-9 GOES-Tap product reflecting a data time of 1400 UTC will be 
disseminated at 1415 UTC.          
     
A specialized schedule on GOES-9 consisting primarily of full 
disk image transmissions is currently being used to test and 
evaluate software recently uploaded to correct several 
navigation errors.  On January 10, 1996, at 1200 UTC, the 
routine scanning mode will resume on GOES-9 for both imager and 
sounder.  The routine schedule for the imager provides 3-hourly 
full disk data starting at 0000 UTC, and at other times, three 
sectors at half-hourly intervals covering the Northern 
Hemisphere, CONUS and Southern Hemisphere.  The routine sounder 
schedule is broken down into two sectors termed ASOS-1 and 
ASOS-2, covering the CONUS and adjacent Pacific Ocean.
The following schedule based on a reference longitude position 
of 135 degrees West will be used:
     
Imager             Sounder
     
routine at      ASOS-1     ASOS-2
HH00/HH30       at HH01    at HH23
     
     
     
Other activities:
     
January 16, 1996, at 2145 UTC
     
  --Implement 135 degrees West grid/map data base
     
Prior to the new grid data base implementation date, users 
should expect a decrease of grid coverage in the west.
     
IMC has been turned "off" thus far to minimize the magnitude of navigational 
shifts in the data as the spacecraft moves.  IMC will be restored following the 
stop maneuver at 135 degrees West, on or near January 22.  An update on GOES-9 
operations will be provided prior to the stop maneuver.
     
John Paquette
Satellite Services Division

Subject: GOES-7 SHUT DOWN!
From: jhawkins@nesdis.noaa.gov (Jamie Hawkins)
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 10:46:24 +0500

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

        GOES-7 imaging will be terminated on January 11, 1996.

        All GOES-West operations will be transitioned to GOES-9.

        GOES-9 is now moving toward 135W, and will arrive on 
        January 22nd.

        ALL GOES-WEST DIGITAL DIRECT READOUT USERS SHOULD
        BE PREPARED TO ACQUIRE GVAR ONLY BY 
        JANUARY 11th!

        For further information, contact

                Jamison Hawkins
                GOES Product Manager
                NOAA/NESDIS
                jhawkins@nesdis.noaa.gov
                301-457-5125