NOAA has developed the Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS) to archive and provide access to the data from current satellite-based observing systems (e.g., Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites – POES and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites - GOES) and ground-based observing systems (e.g., Next Generation Weather Radar - NEXRAD).  CLASS is also is being designed to handle the significant increases in data volume that will come from planned satellite launches (e.g., National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System - NPOESS, NPOESS Preparatory Project - NPP and Earth Observing System - EOS satellites).  Finally, CLASS will ultimately be capable of supporting current in situ data sources (e.g., Automated Surface Observing System - ASOS).  

GOES operational capabilities:

• GOES data archive and access capability became operational on December 1, 2003 (by January, 2005, there should be more than a full year’s worth of data in the archives and plans are being formulated to backfill some or all of the more than 200 terabytes of historical GOES data.)
• Available data formats are: McIDAS area format, NetCDF, GIF, JPEG, and raw GVAR
• Spatial resolutions are: 1km, 4km, 8km, and 16km (approx. at subsatellite point)
• Bands are: Imager bands 1-5/6, Sounder bands 1-19
• Search capabilities include:
• Coverage (e.g., CONUS, Full disk, Northern or Southern Hemisphere)
• Satellite schedule (e.g., routine, rapid scan, super rapid scan)
• Data type (e.g., Block 11, imager, sounder)
• Satellite (e.g., GOES-8, GOES-9, GOES-10, GOES-12)
• Date and time range
• Spatial coverage using a bounded box or entering lat/long coordinates
• Dual site operations – Suitland, MD (OSDPD) and Asheville, NC (NCDC)
• New Global Imaging GOES ingestors replaced data feed from University of Wisconsin

Current development activities:

• Planning for ingest of historical GOES data
• Statistical analysis of Imager data
• Evaluating GOES products