GOES-R space weather observations and products

As Solar Cycle 24 begins, the nature of space weather events is changing. Regularly recurring patterns linked to the rotation of the sun are being replaced by more episodic and intense events driven by coronal mass ejections. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is making substantial improvements to its operations and infrastructure in preparation for the peak of solar activity in the next few years. By the time GOES-R launches in the middle of the decade its space weather instruments will return observations and products to an evolved SWPC as well as a more sophisticated user community. Expect to see higher quality products, better integration into both NESDIS and NWS systems, as well as substantial steps forward in specification and near-term forecasting. Newly automated products will reduce the interactive workload so that forecasters can spend time more effectively evaluating the information at their disposal to create better forecasts. This presentation provides updates on the space weather instruments for GOES-R, the products and services that depend on these instruments, and the preparation for new products and services to better support our users in this new era.