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Press Release on GOES 8 & 10
======================
NOAA's GOES-10 Monitors Hurricane Mitch as Engineers Troubleshoot GOES-8
Spacecraft
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-10 weather
satellite will take over the functions of its companion GOES-8, of
monitoring the movements of Hurricane Mitch, an extremely dangerous storm
in the western Caribbean, as NOAA engineers tonight begin recovery
operations on a malfunction with the GOES-8 satellite, the Commerce
Department agency announced. The satellite data will continue to flow
without a break to meteorologists at NOAA's Tropical Prediction
Center/National Hurricane Center, in Miami, Fla., who are providing
warnings about Hurricane Mitch.
Fortunately, because of the location of Hurricane Mitch, we have a good
view of the storm using GOES-10,@ said Gerald Dittberner, NOAA's GOES
program manager.
"The National Weather Service does not see any impact to operations for
Hurricane Mitch due to this anomaly at this time, and we do not foresee a
break in GOES data or hurricane images," said National Hurricane Center
Director Jerry Jarrell.
On Tuesday, October 27 at approximately 3 a.m. EST, satellite
controllers
at NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service's
Satellite Operations Control Center in Suitland, Md., commanded the GOES-8
into a neutral status, called a "safe hold," when the satellite experienced
a problem with its ability to point towards Earth. Preliminary engineering
analysis indicates an anomaly with either the satellite's earth sensor or
the attitude and orbit control electronics may be responsible. GOES-8 is
located east of Miami along the equator at 75 degrees west. Imagery and
atmospheric data from this satellite are not available while GOES-8 is in a
safe hold.
At approximately 7 a.m. EST on October 27, GOES-10 was commanded to
cover
for the GOES-8 outage. GOES-10 is positioned over the Pacific Ocean (135
degrees West). In this mode, customers in the Western part of the country
will continue to receive their GOES images. Both eastern and western users
will now receive data and images once every 30, rather than 15, minutes.
The Tropical Prediction Center is monitoring the western Atlantic and
Caribbean using a combination of GOES-10 and the European satellite
Meteosat-7. While this area can be safely monitored, detail is lost due to
distortion.
NOAA's GOES satellites have produced an excellent set of real-time
weather
data for weather forecasters and researchers. It is the same imagery seen
daily on TV weather forecasts. NOAA's National Weather Service combines
the satellite date with data from Doppler radars and automated surface
observing systems to improve weather forecasts and numerical models.
Better warnings of thunderstorms, winter storms, flash floods, hurricanes,
and other severe weather help to save lives, preserve property, and benefit
commercial interests.
NOAA's NESDIS funds and operates the GOES series of satellites. NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center manages the design, development, and launch of
the GOES spacecraft for NOAA. The GOES satellites are built under
contract through NASA by Space Systems/Loral of Palo Alto, Calif.
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