GOES-18 Is Now Operational As GOES West

NOAA's GOES-18 satellite, launched in March of 2022, is now operational as GOES West, replacing the GOES-17 spacecraft in a geostationary orbit above the equator over the Pacific Ocean. GOES-17 will become an on-orbit standby.

In its new role, GOES-18 will serve as NOAA’s primary geostationary satellite for detecting and monitoring Pacific hurricanes, at…