GOES-12

Spacecaft Characteristics

• Geostationary orbit over the Earth
• Located above 0 degrees latitude, 75 degrees W longitude
• At an altitude of approximately 35,000 km

Instruments

• Imager
  • Channel 1 - Visible (0.65 micron) @ 1km x 1km resolution
  • Channel 2 - Shortwave (3.9u) @ 4km x 4km res.
  • Channel 3 - Water Vapor (6.75u) @ 4km x 4km res.
  • Channel 4 - InfraRed (10.7u) @ 4km x 4km res.
  • Channel 6 - InfraRed (13.3u) @ 4km x 8km res.

 Note: Channel 5 on all previous GOES spacecraft was, on GOES-12, assigned
 a new spectral frequency, and therefore, "renamed" to Channel 6.

• Sounder
  • Nineteen channels
  • Provides vertical sounding of the Earth's atmosphere
  • 50km (??) resolution
• Others
  • SEM - Space Environment Monitor
  • DCS - Data Collection System
  • SAR - Search and Rescue Transponder

Scanning Schedule

The GOES spacecraft operates in "Routine", "Rapid Scan" and "Super Rapid Scan" modes. Though there are variations in the scanning schedule, the "Routine" operations "typically" consist of:

• CONUS scan at :02 and :32 past the hour
• Extended NorthHem scan at :15 and :45 past the hour
• Southern South Hemisphere scan at :09 and :39 past the hour
• The passes :45 past the hours 05, 08, 11, 14, 17, and 20 (UTC hour) are Full Disk scans.