***GOES-13 is scheduled to replace GOES-12 as the GOES-East operational spacecraft on April 14, 2010 at 1934 UTC***
GOES-13, launched on May 24, 2006, is the first in the series of GOES-N satellites (GOES-14 was launched on June 27, 2009 and GOES-P is scheduled to be launched no earlier than March 4, 2010). This series will carry the 5 channel imager and 19 channel sounder similar to the GOES-I through M series, with some differences. GOES-13 carries the same imager and sounder payload as GOES-12, but the new spacecraft bus will allow it to operate through eclipse and most of the keep out zone periods and images will have increased navigation, registration and radiometric accuracy. (GOES-13 was used briefly as GOES-East in December 2008 during a thruster anomaly period with GOES-12).
After GOES-13 becomes the operational GOES-East satellite, GOES-12 will be moved to 60W to support GOES-South America.
The plans developed are intended to cause as few disruptions as possible to all users who need to acquire the GOES-12 GVAR signal via a ground receive antenna, while also allowing for the acquisition of GOES-13 GVAR data for 2 months prior to becoming operational to re-validate ingesting equipment and product generation.These plans are similar to the GOES-8 to GOES-12 transition plans in April 2003.
GOES 13
We missed an anniversary- April first marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of the first weather satellite- TIROS-1.
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories201 ... tiros.html
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories201 ... tiros.html