Objectives: The GOES system is a basic element of U.S. weather monitoring and forecast operations and is a key component of the NWS (National Weather Service) modernization program. Spacecraft and ground-based systems work together to accomplish the GOES mission of providing weather imagery and quantitative sounding data for weather forecasting and related services. The new series of GOES satellites provides significant improvements over the previous GOES system in weather imagery and atmospheric sounding information.

Description: The spacecraft derive from Space System/Loral's communcations satellites, providing a 3-axis stabilized design. The main body of the spacecraft is a 2-meter cube, with a deployed length of 27 meters. The spacecraft weighs 4600 pounds. The GOES-10 system performs the same basic functions as GOES-8 and GOES-9. GOES-10 is located at 105 W longitude. The satellite is in post-launch testing of the instruments. After testing, NOAA will shut it down and keep it as an "on orbit spare" until GOES-8 or GOES-9 fails.

Participants: NASA, NOAA, Space Systems/Loral, ITT, General Dynamics Space Systems Division

NOAA GOES-10 Real-Time Satellite Images

Launch Date
April 25, 1997

Operational Period
Still Operational

Launch Vehicle
Atlas-1/Centaur

Launch Site
Cape Canaveral, FL

Type
Weather Satellite