1. Robin Pfister (GOES-R Ground Segment Deputy Project Manager)
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R- Series (GOES-R) GOES R Ground Segment Overview
Robin Pfister
(GOES-R Ground Segment Deputy Project Manager)
American Meteorological Society
5th GOES Users’ Conference
New Orleans, LA
Thursday, January 24, 2008

2. GOES-R Improvement Summary
Improvements over current capabilities
Imager (ABI)
Better resolution (4X), faster coverage (5X), more bands (3.2X) and more coverage simultaneously
Lightning detection (GLM)
Continuous coverage of total lightning flash rate over land and water
Solar/Space Monitoring (SUVI, EXIS, SEISS)
Better Imager (UV over X-Ray)
Better Heavy Ion detection, adds low energy electrons and protons
Auxiliary Services
Higher Data Rates for Environmental Data Relay
The large increase in spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution of the ABI of GOES-R increases the data volume and drives a large increase in ground system processing requirements for product generation and for distribution of products to users.
Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI)
Monitors and tracks severe weather, winds, hurricanes, hazards, etc.
Images clouds to support forecasts
Volcanic ash tracking, fire and smoke detection, winds and icing detection
Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM)
Detects lightning strikes as an indicator of severe storms
Previous capability only existed on polar satellites
Solar Imaging Suite (SIS) and Space Environmental In-Situ Suite (SEISS)
Images the sun and measures solar output to monitor solar storms (SIS)
Measures magnetic fields and charged particles (SEISS)
Enables early warnings for satellite and power grid operations, telecom services, astronauts, and airlines
Auxiliary Services
Environmental Data Relay
Search and Rescue

3. Ground Segment Objectives
Support the primary mission operations goals to safely launch and safely operate the GOES-R series spacecraft
Design, develop, integrate and test the ground segment in a manner that minimizes the GOES-R ground segment and overall program costs
Minimize the impact to existing users during the transition to GOES-R services
Provide cost effective ground segment sustainment and maintenance once transitioned to government operations
Provide cost effective and timely solutions to meet GOES-R evolving ground segment requirements through the application of open standards, modular, scalable, flexible system design and development and the application of industry standard system and software engineering practices
Maintain compatibility with existing and enhanced versions of NOAA institutional systems required to support GOES-R series spacecraft

4. GOES-R Partners: Organizations who play a role in Ground Segment solution
GORWG – GOES-R Operational Requirements Working Group
Includes Representation from NOAA Line Offices and Goal Teams
Weather and Water
Climate
Commerce and Transportation
Ecosystems
Mission Support
NWS – National Weather Service
NESDIS – National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Services
Review Teams
COMET - Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training
NWS
For receipt and delivery of satellite images and products to NWS Weather Forecast Offices  
NESDIS
OSO: For operations of satellites through mission management
OSDPD: For operations of PG and PD systems and product tailoring
STAR (ORA): For AWG (Algorithm Working Group) in algorithm development
CLASS: For archive and access of GOES-R data
Review Teams
IRT – Independent Review Team to assess readiness
Gold Team: Internal reviews
Red Team: External reviews including some operators and users
COMET
For education and training in new GOES-R capabilities

5. GOES-R Ground Segment Facilities
Notional Functional Overview
GOES East
GOES West
GOES-R Ground Segment
Functional Elements
GOES-R Re-broadcast
Remote Backup
(RBU)
NOAA Wallops Ground
Station (WCDAS)
NOAA Satellite
Operations Facility
(NSOF)
GOES-R Ground Segment Facilities
Mission
Management
Product
Generation
Product
Distribution
User
Community
Enterprise Management
Archive and Access
(CLASS*; ESPC*)
*CLASS: Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System
ESPC: Environmental Satellite Processing Center
Mission Management
includes mission (satellite and instruments) operations (telemetry and command), mission scheduling, mission state-of-health trending, and satellite orbital analysis.
Product Generation
includes algorithm definition, processing raw data, processing to Level 1b (including calibration, & navigation and registration) for rebroadcast, and for creation of higher level data products (Level 2+) including operational formatted products.
Product Distribution
includes distribution of Level 1b GOES-Rebroadcast data (GRB), eGVAR, and distribution and access to Level 0, 1b, and 2+ data and formatted products to authorized users
Enterprise Management
Provides situational awareness of all functions of the GOES-R GS by monitoring and reporting the configuration of the security, networks, communications, and operational systems
NESDIS operational organizations retain operational roles for the GOES-R Ground System
NESDIS Office of Satellite Operations (OSO) will provide mission operations and production of Level 1b data
NESDIS Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution (OSDPD) will provide product generation and distribution
Algorithm development, maintenance and instrument calibration supported by NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)
The Ground Segment will operate from three sites:
The NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) in Suitland, MD
contains the primary Mission Management (MM), Product Generation (PG), and Product Distribution (PD) functions
The Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Station (WCDAS) in Wallops, V A
transmits commands, GOES Rebroadcast Data (GRB) and communications services to the satellites, and will ingest telemetry and raw instrument data
The Remote Backup facility (RBU) located at a geographically diverse site [TBD]
will function as a backup for the MM, and minimal PG and PD functionality for the production and delivery of limited products, and will be concurrently and remotely operated from the NSOF
remote site location will have visibility to all operational and on-orbit spare satellites.

6. Unique Payload Services (UPS)
Additional capabilities include improved user services for direct readout users:
GOES-R services include:
LRIT--Low Rate Information Transmission
EMWIN--Emergency Managers Wx Information Network
DCS--Data Collection System
SARSAT--Search and Rescue
GRB – GOES Rebroadcast
Follow on of L-Band GVAR
EMWIN/LRIT Combination
Desired Growth Requirements for GOES-R:
EMWIN:  128 Kbps
LRIT:  256 Kbps
Proposed GOES-R solution:
EMWIN and LRIT combined with a data rate of 400 Kbps
Higher Data Rates for LRIT, EMWIN, DCS, and GRB
Cougar Ace incident off of Alaska (24 rescued) was detected by GOES-11 at 830z (and NOAA-17 at 831z while it was within view of Hawaii). Figure courtesy of Thomas.M.Wrublewski.

7. User Impact Summary ?? Direct Readout OSDPD access AWIPS and NOAAPORT
GVAR to GRB
Data rate increases and needs for ground ingest upgrades
Meets delivery of Level 1b data with low latency
LRIT and EMWIN
OSDPD access
Expected to be similar to today and within evolution of OSDPD’s ESPC (Environmental Satellite Processing System) upgrades
AWIPS and NOAAPORT
Will need to change in order to accept and disseminate higher data rates
Web sites
OSDPD, Others
Will need to change in order to display higher temporal, spatial, and spectral data
GOES-R Ground Segment in development of a User Readiness Plan
User
Community

8. Direct Readout- Changes
GRB – GOES Rebroadcast
Follow on of L-Band GVAR
31 Mbps vs today’s 2.11 Mbps
(last GUC referenced 17 Mbps data rates)
Plans are to retransmit all Level 1b data within the GRB with in L band
Dual circular polarization at 1690 MHz
eGVAR – Emulated GVAR
To aid in user transition from current GVAR to GRB data stream
Data to look like today’s GVAR data stream
To use 5 ‘legacy’ bands from ABI
Need an available legacy, non imaging spacecraft
Format
Current GVAR specifications
Analogous to analog to digital TV conversion with overlap of services
GRB
Dual Circular Polarization at 1690 MHz
LHCP: ‘Legacy+’ Bands:
ABI bands 0.64µm and 6 IR bands 3.9µm, 6.185µm, 7.34µm, 11.2µm, 12.3µm, and 13.3µm
RHCP: ‘New’ Bands
ABI bands 0.47µm, 0.865µm, 1.378µm, 1.61µm, 2.25µm, 6.95µm, 8.5µm, 9.6µm and 10.35µm, and GLM, SUVI, EXIS, SEISS, and Magnetometer
Allows for potential flexibility in upgrading from GVAR to GRB
If desired, users could upgrade to only to one pole of data who may be largely interested in only radiances and imagery similar to today’s bands
Current GOES Band Current GOES Approx Center Wavelength (microns) ABI Band ABI Wavelength (microns)
(GOES 8-11)
6.5 (GOES-12, 13, O, P)
(GOES 8-11) (15) (12.3)
13.3 (GOES 12, 13, O, P)
Scanning Strategy
Constant Half Hourly Full Disk Mode
No provisions for RSO like imagery
Format
Current GVAR specifications

9. Upcoming Conferences National Weather Association
October , Lexington, KY
Expect focus on current and near term (i.e. GOES-13) GOES products and operations, and future GOES-R updates
In planning stages
Direct Readout Conference
Week of December 8, 2008, Miami, FL
In planning stages by NESDIS/OSDPD
Key importance for all GOES direct readout users
GVAR and future GRB users
LRIT
EMWIN
DCS
American Meteorological Society annual meeting.
AMS Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography Conference
Week of January 11, 2009, Phoenix, AZ
6th GOES Users’ Conference
Tentatively scheduled fall 2009

10. GOES-R Launch Readiness Date December 2014
Ground acquisition
RFP documents under final development
Draft RFP release currently planned for February 2008
Final RFP planned April 2008
GOES-R Launch Readiness Date
December 2014
Information from FedBizOps Posted Dec 21,
Ground: DG133E-08-RP-0068
Coming Soon!* A new one-stop source for all GOES-R information.
A joint web site of NOAA and NASA (*pending final approval)