Exelis Geospatial Systems of Rochester, N.Y., said it delivered the Advanced Baseline Imager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R to prime contractor Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver for integration.
The imager will scan Earth’s weather, oceans and environment in greater detail than current instruments. The sensor is designed to update the imagery of its coverage area every five minutes, as opposed to every 30 minutes like the current GOES imager, and to capture detailed images of storm activity as quickly as every 30 seconds.
NOAA operates two primary GOES satellites — one each covering the U.S. East and West coasts — to monitor weather conditions and watch for severe weather. GOES-R, the first of the next-generation satellites, is scheduled for launch in 2016.
