NOAA Remote / Digital Service Enhanced
Environmental Satellite Systems (NESDIS, GOES and POES)
NOAA's NESDIS operates polar-orbiting (POES) and geostationary (GOES) environmental satellites and processes, distributes and archives their data.
Description
Operating the country's environmental satellite systems is one of NOAA's major responsibilities. The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) operates the satellites and manages the processing, distribution and archiving of satellite data for researchers, planners, weather forecasters and the public.
Key features
- Operational system of polar-orbiting (POES) and geostationary (GOES) environmental satellites, both needed for a complete global weather network
- First weather satellite, TIROS-1, launched on April 1, 1960; first operational system achieved in 1966 with ESSA-1 and ESSA-2
- 42 polar weather and environmental satellites launched: 10 TIROS, nine ESSA, eight ITOS and 15 TIROS-N/NOAA
Applications
- Weather forecasting and climate research
- Ocean and coastal studies
- Volcanic eruption monitoring, forest fire detection and search and rescue
Specifications
| Satellite types | POES (polar-orbiting), GOES (geostationary) |
|---|
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