Ensuring Continuity of Meteorological Data in Response to the GOES-17 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Anomaly

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R) is the next generation of U.S. geostationary weather satellites. The GOES-R series significantly improves the detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property, and the economic health and prosperity of the United States and many countries in the Western Hemisphere. The GOES-R series primary instrument, the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), provides visible and infrared imagery of the Earth with increased spatial resolution and faster coverage for more accurate forecasts. Launched in March 2018, GOES-S/17 is the second of four satellites in the GOES-R series. However, shortly after launch a significant thermal issue was discovered with the GOES-S/17 ABI Loop Heat Pipes (LHPs) that impacts the ability to cool the ABI detector array and results in saturation of some of the ABI infrared channels over parts of the day. In response, NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS) formed a Mission Recovery and Mitigation (MRM) Working Group to lessen the impact of the GOES-17 channel outages. As part of the MRM Working Group, a Constellation Options Team was formed to consider various constellation options using both the GOES-R and legacy GOES-N series satellites, NOAA polar orbiting satellites (JPSS and NPP), and data from non-NOAA satellite sources such as the Japanese Himawari-8 satellite. This paper examines the various constellation options considered and their impacts on users, science products, mission operations, and the overall GOES constellation.