GOES-J STATUS
last update: 14 June 2007
There is a scrapbook of GOES-9 Results on-line.
GOES-J was decomissioned on 14 June 2007. There were two orbit-raising burns spaced 12 hours apart (one to raise apogee, the other to raise perigee), followed by a fuel-depletion burn (to avoid a future debris-causing explosion) and spacecraft shutdown.
GOES-J's momentum wheels became noisy in 1998, and the satellite was shut down and left orbiting in cold storage until 2002.
GOES-K was called up in the summer of 1998 to replace GOES-J as the operational GOES-WEST bird at 135W in August 1998.
In 2002-2003, GOES-9 was revived by NOAA to provide a temporary on-orbit replacement for Japan's failing GMS-5 satellite. GOES-9 was operated at 155 dgrees east from Fairbanks Alaska until 15 November 2005.
GOES-9 replaces GMS-5
Resent-From: nesdis.osdpd.ssd.sateps-notification@noaa.gov
From: "Brian Hughes"
Date: November 3, 2005 3:34:01 PM EST
To: Brian Hughes
Subject: GI: GOES-9 to MTSAT-1R Transition: Effective November 15, 2005: Issued 11/3/05
Topic: GOES-9 to MTSAT-1R Transition
Message Issued: November 3, 2005, 2030 UTC
Satellites Impacted: GOES-9 and MTSAT-1R
Products Impacted: Current GOES-9 Imagery and access of MTSAT-1R data and products via SSD/ESPC
Date/Time of Initial Impact: November 15, 2005
-----------------------------------------
Details:
NOAA's operation of GOES-9 as the operational West Pacific Geostationary satellite at 155 degrees East will terminate on November 15, 2005. The Japanese Meteorological Agency's MTSAT-1R, launched in February 2005 and placed at 140 degrees East, was declared operational by JMA on June 28, 2005.
Agencies and users with operational interests for satellite weather surveillance in the West Pacific, Eastern Asia, or Australia should already be receiving MTSAT-1R HiRID data via direct broadcast, DOMSAT, or from SSD/ESPC (formerly SSD/SATEPS).
Information on the operation, scheduling, imager channels, and other data from MTSAT-1R can be found at the JMA Satellite Activities website at: http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/satellite/index.html
SSD/ESPC users receiving GOES-9 data can access the new MTSAT-1R HiRID datasets via McIDAS from the following server:
DATALOC ADD MTS 140.90.195.191
The satellite currently has three sectors that have been put into the following datasets - the data group for all MTSAT imagery is MTS
Full Disk:_
_MTGLOB01V
MTGLOB04I2
MTGLOB04I3
MTGLOB04I4
MTGLOB04I5
Northern Hemisphere:
MTNHEM01V
MTNHEM04I2
MTNHEM04I3
MTNHEM04I4
MTNHEM04I5
Southern Hemisphere:
MTSHEM01V
MTSHEM04I2
MTSHEM04I3
MTSHEM04I4
MTSHEM04I5
The following remaps are being produced on the server:
MTHIML10V MTINDN17I2
MTINDN17I3
MTINDN17I4
MTINDN17V
MTKAMC10V
MTNCPC20I2
MTNCPC20I3
MTNCPC20I4
MTNCPC20V
MTNWPC20I2
MTNWPC20I3
MTNWPC20I4
MTNWPC20V
There will also be new areas for special derived imagery for volcanic ash detection. These images will be added to the volcano products server (DPD server at gp12.ssd.nesdis.noaa.gov), contact me for more information.
MTSAT-1R data will also be made available on the public FTP and McIDAS server gp16.ssd.nesdis.noaa.gov
NOAA and other U.S. Government agencies are working to procure hardware for the MTSAT-1R HRIT (3.5 Mbps) data stream. Information will be passed onto users when details are known.
------------------------------------------
Contact Information:
Brian Hughes
Satellite Services Division
NOAA/NESDIS/OSDPD
301-763-8051 x106
brian.hughes@noaa.gov
See http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/SATS/messages.html for this and other satellite related messages.
See http://www.ssd.noaa.gov for full GOES scanning schedules.
Date: Thu, 22 May 2003 09:25:30 -0400
From: "Brian Hughes"
Organization: NOAA/NESDIS/OSDPD Satellite Services Division
X-Accept-Language: en
To: Brian Hughes
Subject: GI: GOES-9 Operational over West Pacific Ocean - Issued 05/22/03
Status:
Topic: GOES-9 Operational over West Pacific Ocean
Message Issued: May 22, 2003, 1330 UTC
Satellites Impacted: GMS-5 and GOES-9
Products Impacted: ALL GMS-5 and GOES-9 data
Date/Time of Initial Impact: May 22, 2003 0600 UTC
--------------------------
Details:
On 0600 UTC May 22, 2003, NOAA's GOES-9, positioned at 155 degrees East,
became the operational meteorological satellite over the West Pacific
and Eastern Asia, replacing the Japan Meteorological Agency's GMS-5
satellite.
For details regarding broadcast of GOES-9 WEFAX via GMS-5, please see:
http://www.jma.go.jp/JMA_HP/jma/jma-eng/contents/info_GMS5.html
For the official announcement from JMA, please see:
http://www.jma.go.jp/JMA_HP/jma/jma-eng/contents/Start_GOES9.html
MTSAT-1R, the successor to GMS-5, is planned for launch in early 2004.
For details, see:
http://mscweb.kishou.go.jp/general/future_plan/index.htm#1
Below are some of the updated milestones and plans for the operation of
GOES-9:
**April 26, 2003: GOES-9 on-station normal operation at 155E **
**On May 22, 2003, GMS-5 ceased disseminating high resolution data (with
the last GMS image at 00:00Z), and is transmitting
GOES-9 WEFAX via the GMS-5 satellite.**
- Users who received GMS-5 WEFAX from GMS-5 should not need to make any
changes to receive GOES-9 WEFAX via GMS-5
- S-VISSR type data converted from GVAR signals will be distributed via
the Internet from the JMA to the National Meteorological Services which
made registration to the JMA. This Internet distribution has been
already carried out for the S-VISSR data obtained by GMS-5 since 2
December 2002.
- GOES-9 data will _not_ be converted to VISSR and relayed through GMS-5
- Imagery is available both via GVAR for direct readout, and from DOMSAT
for CONUS users.
For users receiving GMS data from Satellite Services Division/SATEPS via
McIDAS ADDE, the current GMS data location was replaced by a new GPR
server. The IP address will remain the same. Current GMS products that
will be converted to GOES-9 is as follows:
RAW AREAS:
GMS NAME GPR (GOES-9) NAME
GMS/GMGLOB01V GPR/GPFDSK01V
GMS/GMGLOB02V GPR/GPFDSK02V
GMS/GMGLOB05I2 GPR/GPFDSK04I4
GMS/GMGLOB05I3 GPR/GPFDSK04I5
GMS/GMGLOB05I4 GPR/GPFDSK04I3
NEW RAW AREAS:
GMS NAME GPR (GOES-9) NAME
n/a GPR/GPFDSK04I2
n/a GPR/GPJPAC01V
n/a GPR/GPJPAC02V
n/a GPR/GPJPAC04I2
n/a GPR/GPJPAC04I3
n/a GPR/GPJPAC04I4
n/a GPR/GPJPAC04I5
n/a GPR/GPSNDR10M
REMAP AREAS:
GMS NAME GPR (GOES-9) NAME
GMS/GMCHIN12V GPR/GPCHIN12V
GMS/GMHIML10V GPR/GPHIML10V
GMS/GMKAMC10V GPR/GPKAMC10V
GMS/GMINDN17V GPR/GPINDN17V
GMS/GMNCPC20V GPR/GPNCPC20V
GMS/GMNWPC20V GPR/GPNWPC20V
GMS/GMINDN17I2 GPR/GPINDN17I4
GMS/GMNCPC20I2 GPR/GPNCPC20I4
GMS/GMNWPC20I2 GPR/GPNWPC20I4
GMS/GMINDN17I3 GPR/GPINDN17I5
GMS/GMNCPC20I3 GPR/GPNCPC20I5
GMS/GMNWPC20I3 GPR/GPNWPC20I5
GMS/GMINDN17I4 GPR/GPINDN17I3
GMS/GMNCPC20I4 GPR/GPNCPC20I3
GMS/GMNWPC20I4 GPR/GPNWPC20I3
---------------------------
Contact Information:
Brian Hughes
Satellite Services Division
NOAA/NESDIS/OSDPD
301-763-8051 x106
Brian.Hughes@noaa.gov
See http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/SATS/messages.html for this and other
satellite related messages.
See http://www.ssd.noaa.gov for full GOES scanning schedules.
Spacecraft
In June and July of 1998, the two main momentum wheels on GOES-J began demanding high power levels to maintain their normally modest rotation rate (2900 rpm), as though the bearings were beginning to fail on both wheels.
The buzz from the momentum wheel may be causing the coherent noise in the visible channel.
There is one small spare wheel that could be used instead of one failed wheel, but there is no recovery from the failure of both wheels, since two wheels are needed to maintain a stable earth-facing attitude.
GOES-J has not failed -- it is a on-orbit spare satellite with a remaining lifetime between a day and several years, depending on the vagaries of bearing failure.
GOES-9 was removed from ZAP storage mode (to three-axis control) in November 2001, for a two month monitoring period for orbital maintenance and to evaluate wheel and imaging performance.
GOES-9 was removed from ZAP storage mode (to three-axis control) in December 2001 - January 2002, for a one month monitoring period for orbital maintenance and to evaluate wheel and imaging performance.
Launch
GOES-J was launched successfully at 1:52 am EDT, Tuesday, 23 May 1995.
GOES-J's night launch was picturesque and animated.
GOES-J was renamed GOES-9 on 31 May 1995, after the main maneuver to get the satellite into a roughly geosynchronous orbit at 90W.
Initial engineering tests of the Imager visible scanner were performed on Friday, 9 June 1995, and some nice images were produced.
First official GOES-9 full-earth image from 12 June 1995 was quite successful.
Imager
The infrared detectors in the SN04 Imager are the most sensitive ones used in the entire GOES-I/M series.
Upper/lower IR detector striping was almost unobservable just after launch, but has grown with age.
The scan mirror motor on the Imager has lost its redundant winding due to thermal expansion and contraction of the potting material each day.
Therefore, NOAA has decided to turn the Imager away from the sun during the hours before and after midnight for several weeks near the spring and autumn solstices.
No GOES-9 images are available during this 6 to 8 hour "mitigation".
During 1997, reception of the GOES-9 downlink at Wallops VA has suffered significant interference for periods of 10 to 60 minutes.
Some of this is due to NWS radiosondes launched at 0000 and 1200 UTC, but there are other undiagnosed cases, generally during the local morning hours, 1400 to 1800 UTC.
There was generally one unuseable image per day.
In May 2003, while GOES-9 was drifting west of the dateline on its way to Japan, the Attitude and Orbit Control Electronics (AOCE-2) went off-scale, causing large navigation errors in the imagery. NOAA disconnected the AOCE, which normally provides corrections for orbital imperfections. Imaging is still possible.
GOES-9 was removed from ZAP storage mode (to three-axis control) in December 2001 - January 2002, for a one month monitoring period for orbital maintenance and to evaluate wheel andimaging performance.
The project scientist analyzed GOES-9 imagery, and wrote a report about the anomalous noise in the detectors:
Coherent noise is analyzed for GOES-9 imagery observed on 8 January 2002. Anomalous semi-harmonic high-frequency noise is apparent in the visible imagery. Of the eight visible detectors, two detectors are found to have 10 counts RMS noise, four detectors have 5 counts RMS, and two detectors have 3 counts RMS (the normal value in GOES-8). The semi-harmonic noise observed in bright sunlit clouds is approximately twice the amplitude observed in dark space. The principal mode found by Fourier power spectra is an irregular "hum" with a 5-to-6 visible sample period, which corresponds to 4100 to 3400 Hz band for a 20380 Hz visible sample clock rate. Many other weak resonances are observed at longer periods, differing from detector-to-detector and modulated during the frame. There are significant correlations in the anomalous noise among the visible detectors, with slow drifts in their mutual coherence over 30 minutes. There is an unresolved question whether the high-frequency noise in the visible detectors (3400 to 4100 Hz) is related to the noise in the low-speed momentum wheels (48 Hz). No high-frequency anomalous noise is observed in the GOES-9 infrared channels, but there is anomalous behavior in the mean dark values near the assumed western space-clamps; west-to-east scans have significant line-to-line variations in channels 2 and 4, with different offsets for each detector.
Sounder
Engineering improvements to the SN04 Sounder will improve its radiometric zero-point stability, a very important feature for measuring small differences between channels in order to estimate atmospheric gradients.
The University of Wisconsin has reported some low-frequency noise on-orbit, however.
Post-Launch Plan
GOES-9 conducted science tests for NOAA in the first two weeks of September 1995 and during all of November 1995.
GOES-9 completed checkout at 90W in November 1995, and is now operational as GOES-WEST at 135W longitude, as of 22 January 1996.
GOES-9 has rarely been used for special storm scans after becoming operational.
GOES-9 delivers WEFAX routinely to the western hemisphere, particularly useful in South America.
Issues
GOES-J was commissioned with 8.5 years of station-keeping fuel remaining on board, and at least 5.5 years of full electrical power.
The earth sensors on GOES-9 are less sensitive to sunglint, but there is still some noticeable wobble as the sun passes behind the earth around sub-satellite midnight.
The electro-mechanical failures on GOES-J are in redundant systems:
- Soon after launch, a redundant winding in the Imager's scan mirror's motor failed.
There was no loss of Imaging performance, only of torque margin.
The Imager would be unable to scan if it loses the other winding.
So, NOAA introduced a "mitigation" mode, turning off the instruments and tilting the satellite away from the Sun for 6 hours every night during spring and fall to minimize the highest temperatures on the winding, increasing it lifetime by an unknown amount between one day and several years.
- Momentum wheel problems
- In June 1998, momentum wheel #2 became noisy and demanded power spikes, as though its bearing were failing.
So, NESDIS shut off wheel #2 and started using a small spare wheel for attitude control, with momentuum wheel #1 run faster to increase stiffness.
- In early July 1998, momentum wheel #1 also started to demand more power and became fairly warm to maintain its rotation rate, as though its bearing was threatening to fail.
- In mid-July 1998, GOES-J was commanded back to normal 2-wheel mode and GOES-10 was called out of storage, while wheel #2 contiunued noisy and drawing near maximum power to mainatin speed.
- In August 1998, GOES-J was shut down for cold storage on-orbit.
- In November 1999, GOES-J was briefly spun up by NOAA to perform orbit-maintenance maneuvers. The visible channel was found to be very noisy, possibly due to vibration from the failing momentuum wheel bearing. Loss of both momentum wheels would disable 3-axis pointing.
- In december-January 2001-2002, NESDIS brought GOES-J out of cold storage, did some tessts, and operated it normally for the first 2 weeks of January. The satellite was returned to cold on-orbit storage on 17 January 2002.
Updates from NOAA
GOES-9 Momentum Wheel Noise Increase: Starting on March 17, 2004, the
wheel current on the GOES-9 momentum wheel 1 showed an increase by about
a factor of two, reaching a maximum on March 20, probably due to wheel
bearing friction. This increase was associated with a corresponding
increase in the noise seen in the visible detector signals. Since then
the current has fallen back down, reaching typical pre_event levels on
March 29.
On Saturday, February 19, at 15:35Z the GOES-9 fuel line pressure
dropped to the bottom end to the telemetry calibration curve. Supporting
data (line temperatures, thruster temps, tank pressures, and tank temps)
revealed no indication of a physical anomaly. In addition, the attitude
data gave no evidence of a torque disturbance. Likely cause of the
anomaly is a failure of the pressure transducer for the fuel line. A
spacecraft incident report has been written and sent to NASA and SS/L
for inquiry. No impact on storage operations is anticipated.
SOCC MORNING REPORT July 28, 1998
Imaging and sounding operations for the GOES-9 spacecraft were terminated
at 1600Z on July 27 in preparation for the storage mode operation. The
maneuver to begin the spacecraft move to 105 degrees was successfully
performed at 0620Z. The satellite was then placed in spin storage mode at
0828Z. The predicted spin axis cone angle was achieved to .25 degrees. Both
momentum wheels have been turned off. Post maneuver ranging operations will
begin today for a final orbit determination and drift rate calculation. The
satellite is predicted to arrive on station on August 17.
Kathy Kelly
Manager
Satellite Operations Control Center
NOAA/NESDIS
301-457-5130
KKELLY@NESDIS.NOAA.GOV
Subject: Special GOES-9 Imager Motor Winding Protection Operation
Author: jpaquett@ssdnotes.wwb.noaa.gov at EXTERNAL
Date: 10/3/97 5:57 PM
The next GOES-9 imager motor winding protection operation is scheduled
to run from October 13 through October 30, 1997. For this period,
the following exclusive schedule will be employed daily to support the
special protection operation:
From 0423 to 0459 UTC -- no GOES-9 imaging or sounding
expected product loss: 0430 UTC McIDAS, GOES-TAP, and AWIPS images
From 0500 to 0623 UTC -- routine GOES-9 imaging and sounding
operations; exception is a northern hemisphere scan will replace the
full disk transmission at 0600 UTC.
From 0624 to 1223 UTC -- no GOES-9 imaging or sounding
expected product loss: 12 UTC winds; 0630 UTC through 1200 UTC,
McIDAS, GOES-TAP, and AWIPS images; 0700 through 1200 UTC, ASOS SCP;
0700 through 1200 UTC, Imager DPI
1224 UTC to 1259 UTC -- GOES-9 routine imaging and routine soundings
1300 UTC to 1329 UTC -- GOES-9 full disk imaging and routine soundings
1330 UTC and on -- routine GOES-9 imaging and routine soundings
Expect some imager and sounder navigation irregularities for up to
three hours following the daily GOES-9 data outage period.
To compensate for some of the lost GOES-9 coverage,
exclusive GOES-8 full disk
scanning is scheduled daily from 0645 UTC to 1244 UTC,
October 13-16, and from 0415 UTC to 1244, October 17-30.
To facilitate image navigation and registration recovery
following the special motor winding protection period,
abbreviated full disk scanning will replace routine
scanning operations from 0430 UTC to 1229 UTC on October 31 and
November 1.
John Paquette
Satellite Services Division
Subject: GOES-9 Image Sectors
From: jhawkins@nesdis.noaa.gov (Jamie Hawkins)
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 12:02:53 +0500
GOES-9 continues moving toward 135W at a rate of about 0.93 degrees per day.
The spacecraft will arrive on station on January 22. Imager operations
during its move will consist of full disks beginning on XX:15 and XX:45
through the 18:45 image on December 18th. Beginning with the 19:30 ingest
on that date, a "Routine Mode" scanning schedule will be implemented. The
areas scanned were defined for operations at 135W, and therefore may not
seem optimum during the move.
Here are the specifics of imager scanning in this Routine Mode.
GOES-9 SECTOR DEFINITIONS
Frame Start Stop
Name Line Pixel Line Pixel
............................................................................
Full Disk 2472 5852 13320 24829
Full Disk,
Abbreviated 2472 5852 12480 24829
*Full Disk, alt. 2472 5852 10320 24829
Northern Hemisphere 2600 7890 7896 21510
Southern Hemisphere 7824 7890 12072 18928
Pacific/U.S. ("PACUS") 2600 10099 6528 21510
* Abbreviated frame used during the 6-hour post-maneuver period.
(GVAR direct readout systems developers who would like these sector
definitions in terms of cycles and increments, or degrees from nadir may
request them by e-mail or phone via the address below.)
GOES-9 ROUTINE MODE IMAGER SCANNING TIMES:
Time Sector Duration
00:00:00Z Full Disk 26:06
00:30:00 N. Hemi 10:15
00:45:00 PACUS 06:35
00:51:55 S. Hemi 07:00
01:00:00 [Repeat 00:30 sequence]
01:30:00 [Repeat 00:30 sequence]
02:00:00 [Repeat 00:30 sequence]
02:30:00 [Repeat 00:30 sequence]
03:00:00 Full Disk 26:06
[Repeat 00:30 sequence until 06:00Z. Continue overall sequence with full
disks every three hours. Ten minute housekeeping periods are scheduled four
times daily (around 03:50 + six hours). During these periods, the normal
half-hour
schedule sequence will be abbreviated, and the southern hemisphere sector
will be dropped.]
Note that this table does not include periods of black-body calibration,
star sequence navigation, or spacecraft attitude adjustments, which are
built into satellite operations schedules each hour.
For more detailed schedules, GVAR direct readout system builders and
operators may contact the address below.
.............................................
Jamison Hawkins
NOAA GOES Product Manager
jhawkins@nesdis.noaa.gov
301-457-5125
.............................................
Post-Launch Schedule
MAJOR MILESTONES:
APPROXIMATE
EVENT EVENT DATE EVENT TIME (EDT)
**Launch 23 May 1995 0152
**Centaur-S/C Separation 23 May 0222
**Partial Solar Array Deploy 23 May 0320
**AMF1 24 May 2145
**AMF2 27 May 1557
**AMF3 29 May 1439
**AAM (-J becomes GOES-9) 31 May 0859
**Magnetometer Boom Deploy 1 June 1720
**Solar Sail Deploy 3 June 2000
**TMF1 6 June 2106
**Establish MW V-2 Mode 6 June 2127
**TMF2 8 June 0859
**Safe Hold Mode Test 9 June 0800
**TMF3/Geosynch. 9 June 2042
**1st Full Disk Vis Images 12 June 1345
**Cooler Cover Deployments 15 June 2205
**1st Imager IR Image 19 June 1345
**AOCE2 Patch Upload/Enable 21 June 0800
**1st Sounder Sectors 26 June 1000
**AOCE2 Patch Upload/Enable 21 June 0800
**1st Sounder Sectors 26 June 1000
**N/S Maneuver 6 July 0152
**E/W Maneuver 10 July 1644
**Health/Safety Handover 21 July 1200
**INR operations start up 31 July 0800
**Begin Sounder navigation tests 8 August 0800
**Begin IMC-on Imager operations 10 August 0800
**Begin Imager routine scans 17 August 0800
**Start eclipse season 30 August 1800
**Science users tests 4-16 September 0800
**Software and procedural tune-ups 17-29 September 0800
**INR momentum wheel tests 9-11 October 0800
**End eclipse season 17 October -
**Outgas Imager (no IR pictures) 17-31 October -
**Middle-night tests (no IR) 30 Oct - 2 Nov 0400-0800
**Turn over to NOAA 1 November 1800
**Science testing 2-31 November -
**Move toward 135W 5 December -
**Turn on WEFAX 12 December 1500
**Become GOES-WEST 25 January -
** = completed activity
AMF = Apogee Motor Firing
AAM = Apogee Adjust Maneuver
TMF = Trim Motor Firing
LONG-TERM SCHEDULE DATE
Launch May 23, 1995
Circularize Orbit May 24-31
Deployments June 1-4
Start-ups and liveness tests June 5-9
Outgassing and engineering tests June 9-12
first official visible image June 12
first official infrared image June 19
first official Sounder data June 26
Functional tests June 19-30
Rapid scan test July 2
Technical Evaluations July 5-20
NOAA crew starts July 21
Re-host ground system July 20-30
Image every 1/2 hour, Sounder off July 31
Imager routine, Sounder spin-up August 13
Performance evaluation August 17-31
Special Science testing September 2-16
NOAA spin-up September
NASA tune-up October
NOAA Assessment November
Move GOES to operational slot December
GOES-WEST operations January 1996
End-Of-Life May 1998 or later
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GOES Project