New GOES Satellite

[slowjoe]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d313/status.html

It appears we're getting a new geostationary weather platform. Does anyone know what the plans/abilities of this new satellite are?

[clfenwi]

Cherry-picked a few things of interest from here:

http://www.osd.noaa.gov/GOES/goes_n.htm

GOES N,O,P will have an improved Image Navigation and Registration (INR) system that
will use star trackers to provide precision image navigation and registration information
for use with the Imaging and Sounding data products. This will improve knowledge of
exactly where severe weather events are located.

A data product improvement has been provided with the development of the digital Low
Rate Image Information Transmission (LRIT) system for distribution of data products
that were distributed in an analog WEFAX format in the previous generation of GOES
satellites. The LRIT system will permit the transmission of many data products consistent
with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and will permit the distribution of
more National Weather Service (NWS) information at a higher data rate to the NOAA data
user community.

The Satellite design life time has been improved from 7 to 10 years, and the expected
propellant lifetime has been increased to 13.5 years.

According to http://www.gisdevelopment.net/news/view ... cbuhkxeivy ,
the new satellite will be put into storage mode as a backup for GOES 10 and 12.