ATC Space
Environment Monitoring System Launched on GOES-N
GOES-13, the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites
(GOES), was successfully launched on May 24, 2006. GOES-13 was developed by
Boeing for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC) and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The GOES-13 instruments include the ATC Space Environment Monitoring (SEM) System, which measures
the energetic particle environment at geosynchronous orbit and the solar x-ray and
extreme ultraviolet radiation. The NOAA Space Environment Center (NOAA/SEC), the
nation's "space weather" center, issues alerts and forecasts for events such as
solar flares and geomagnetic storms based on the SEM System information.
This information is important for military and civilian radio communication, satellite
communication and navigation systems, electric power networks, geophysical
exploration, shuttle and space station astronauts, high-altitude aviation and
scientific researchers. ATC's Space Instrumentation Group, formerly part of
GE/Panametrics, has provided similar instrumentation for the last nine
GOES Satellites.
