The first satellite of the GOES-R series, scheduled to be launch-ready in 2014, will usher in a new era in geostationary environmental satellites, providing vastly improved spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions. The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), for example will scan the Earth nearly five times faster than the current GOES. The satellites will provide the user communities, including the general public, television meteorologists, private weather companies, the aviation and agricultural communities, oceanographers, hydrologists, climatologists, and national and international government agencies with about 30 times the amount of data currently provided.

GOES are a mainstay of weather forecasts and environmental monitoring in the United States. Their images of the clouds are seen daily on television weather forecasts. The next generation GOES will provide critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar, and space data. Additional capabilities include improved direct services, such as GOES-R Re-Broadcast (GRB), Search and Rescue (SAR), Data Collection System (DCS), Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) and Low Rate Information Transmission (LRIT).

In developing the GOES-R series, NOAA and NASA are striving to maintain a balance between affordable cost and evolving user needs . . Complete life cycle end-to-end costs must be included in upfront planning to ensure decision makers have a full understanding of the system cost. Architectures, including ground systems, must be developed to effectively handle large volumes of data required by users.

To reach the goal of an optimal balance between benefits and cost, the GOES program has adopted various strategies. Trade studies have been performed against requirements. Multiple architecture options have been and are being evaluated. End-to-end system architecture is being defined. The planned GOES-R program life cycle is structured as follows: 1) Pre-Study Phase; 2) Concept/ Architecture Development Phase; 3) Program Definition and Risk Reduction Phase (began 9/05, extended to 4/07); and 4) Acquisition and Operations (A&O) Phase (May 2008). Formulation phase has been completed for all the baseline instruments.

The new instruments will allow for a host of new environmental products and services, while improving most of the products and services that are currently provided. The new observations will contribute to dramatically improved weather, water, and space environmental services in the next decades, enhancing public safety and providing economic benefits to the U.S. and our international partners.

This presentation will provide an overview of the GOES-R program and the strategies, plans, and schedules leading to an operational GOES-R system.