Published on Apr. 3, 2025, 7:01 PM
GOES-19 is slated to watch over the Americas and Atlantic Ocean for the next decade
Friday marks the beginning of a new era in the skies over much of Canada.
A new satellite called GOES-19 will go into operational service on Friday morning, scanning our skies 24/7 to provide advanced warning of storms both near and far.
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A new satellite to watch over Canada
GOES-19 launched on June 25, 2024, and it reached orbit high above the equator about one month later. Scientists with NOAA have spent the past nine months testing the spacecraft and its instruments to make sure everything is in proper working order.
GOES-U spacecraft infographic
If all goes to plan, GOES-19 will become operational at 11:10 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 4, 2025, at which point its name will change to GOES-East. NOAA expects the new satellite to provide continuous watch over the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean through the middle of the 2030s.
The current satellite serving as GOES-East, called GOES-16, launched in 2016 and it's been standing guard over our half of the world since it entered operations in 2017. NOAA plans to send the nine-year-old satellite to a parking orbit where it’ll serve in standby mode in case it needs to fill in one day.
GOES-18 currently serves as GOES-West, keeping tabs on the western coasts of North and South America, as well as much of the Pacific Ocean.