The current Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series was inaugurated in 1994 with the launch of GOES-8 and will continue with two more satellites (GOES-O and P) past the most recent GOES-13 launched in 2006. The next generation GOES (beginning with GOES-R) will be launched in the 2012 time frame. This new series of satellites will include improved spatial, temporal, spectral, and radiometric resolution. The last two characteristics are manifest by an increased number of spectral bands and increased precision for measurements from those bands. Because of the long lead-time needed to design, build, and test this new and complex satellite system, it is already time to do the background work needed to prepare for the development and implementation of GOES-R.

Preparations for GOES-R for applications to analysis and forecasting mesoscale weather events are well underway. The approach for these “Risk Reduction” activities is to use data from existing operational and experimental satellites to create subsets of observations that will be available from GOES-R. Particular emphasis will be focused on product development, both to improve existing products and to create new products from the additional resolution capabilities that will be available. In addition, color can be used to better represent and discriminate among the wide range of features that can be detected with GOES-R spectral bands. Two focus areas for product development that have been explored are the detection and discrimination of fog and stratus from other cloud and land-surface features, as well as monitoring of blowing dust and smoke from fires.