The GOES-R program is a collaborative satellite development and acquisition mission between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The GOES-R series satellites will provide continuous imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s Western Hemisphere and space weather monitoring. The advanced spacecraft and instrumen
t technology used on the GOES-R series will result in more timely and accurate weather forecasts. It will improve support for the detection and observations of meteorological phenomena and directly affect public safety, protection of property, and ultimately, economic health and development. The first satellite in the GOES-R series is scheduled for launch in 2016. The GOES-R Program is managed by NOAA with an integrated NOAA-NASA program office organization, staffed with personnel from NOAA and NASA and co-located at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. GOES-R is composed of the GOES-R Program Office and two integrated NOAA-NASA project offices: the Flight Project and the Ground Segment Project. The GOES-R Program Office is responsible for the overall system and has ultimate authority and responsibility for managing the acquisition of the GOES-R Program including financial, technical, and programmatic processes and performance including bridging any gaps between the projects by validating and verifying project efforts to ensure mission success. The Flight Project oversees the development of the Space Segment, which consists of the spacecraft, the instruments, launch vehicle, and the auxiliary communication payloads. The Ground Segment Project consists of the entire ground system, including the facilities, antenna sites, software and hardware for satellite command and control and to process, create, and distribute end user products. Beginning with the first launch in 2016, the GOES-R series satellites (GOES-R, S, T and U) will extend the 2-satellite GOES system through 2036.
