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California Fire

NOAA’s Satellite Fleet Watches Over Blazing California Wildfires

As news of the rising death toll from the California fires continues, NOAA satellites help capture the extent of the devastation. NOAA GOES-16 and NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP use their unique vantage to monitor the extent, location and temperature of fire and smoke. The satellites are also able to map the burns scars from the fires.
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the NOAA-NASA Suomi NPP satellite captured these two images of Florida before (l) and after (r) Hurricane Irma made landfall

VIIRS Sees Irma-Churned Sediments around Florida, Bahamas

Hurricane Irma didn't just impact land. As seen in these before-and-after true-color images captured by the VIIRS instrument on the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP satellite, the storm altered the distribution of sand around the coast of Florida. The light blue color shows sediment suspended in the water, kicked up by the intensity of the storm. 
Goes-R satellite image

Why Don’t Satellites Fall Out of the Sky?

If you’ve ever wondered how satellites maintain their orbit and don’t just drop out of the sky you’re not alone. It turns out this is one of the most asked questions about how satellites work.
Texas Army National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Zachary Wes.

NOAA Satellites and Aircraft Monitor Catastrophic Floods from Hurricane Harvey & Irma

NOAA’s GOES-16 and NOAA-NASA Suomi NPP are monitoring the flooding from Hurricane Harvey & Irma. Images from the two satellites are merged to create a detailed and comprehensive flood zone map which covers vast areas. These maps help FEMA and first responders determine where to focus their efforts.
Holly Obermeier, meteorologist at KETV-TV in Omaha, Nebraska, issues a tornado warning after utilizing the GOES-R ProbSevere product. Credit: Holly Obermeier

NOAA Experiments Help Build a Better Forecast

NOAA satellite experts and weather forecasters are working together at the Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) in Norman, Oklahoma, to prepare to use data from the GOES-R satellite to improve short-range hazardous weather forecasts and warning decision-making. From May 4 to June 12 (during the height of severe weather season), NOAA invited National Weather Service forecasters and paired them with TV broadcast meteorologists to evaluate the new science, technology and products that will be available from GOES-R once it is launched in 2016.
Hurricane Isabel captured by NOAA-15

NOAA-15 Makes 100 Thousandth Orbit

A feat 19 years in the making, NOAA-15 recently made its 100,000th trip around the Earth!
GOES-R mission rehearsal at NSOF. Credit: GOES-R Series Program

GOES-R Rehearsals: Preparing to Deploy

The GOES-R team has begun a series of important rehearsals to simulate specific steps in the deployment of the satellite, such as spacecraft separation. Mission rehearsals use a satellite simulator to train operations personnel and test the readiness of the ground system. (The ground system is a global network of receiving stations linked to NOAA which distributes the satellite data and derived products to users worldwide). 
GOES-16 "sandwich" imagery of derecho

GOES-16 Offers Spectacular View of July 19 Derecho

GOES-16 offers an amazing look at the derecho that tore through the north-central Plains on July 19, 2017.
Sarsat rescues by month

Does Summer Fun Mean More SARSAT Rescues? We Crunched the Numbers

Summer is here! For many of us, that means summer vacations, and, in general, more time spent outdoors. But we wondered: with nicer weather and more people engaged in outdoor recreation, will the SARSAT system in the United States and surrounding regions receive more calls for help?