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Weather Satellite Imagers & Sounders: Preparing for Environmental Disasters Begins in Space

The race to stay ahead of dynamic weather patterns begins with highly detailed, accurate space-based observations of Earth. It’s the only way to rapidly monitor and revisit the entire globe and collect the comprehensive data necessary for weather prediction.

As hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and other environmental hazards form, meteorologists rely on instruments known as imagers, onboard weather satellites in different orbits around the Earth, as their “eyes in the sky.” These instruments constantly monitor the Earth in real-time for severe weather events to increase warning times and save lives.

Without space-based imagers, forecasters would be partially blind to severe weather conditions and environmental hazards – especially in areas where other measurements are sparse, like over oceans, where dangerous hurricanes grow and move toward populated coastal areas. Space-based assets provide concurrent global, continental and regional measurements as opposed to other ground-based methods.

Meteorologists also rely heavily on instruments known as infrared (IR) sounders to provide information about atmospheric moisture, temperature and pressure – all critical to forecasting severe weather and studying the climate. Imagers tell you what’s happening, while sounders tell you what’s about to happen. These complementary capabilities are vital to monitoring and accurately forecasting both near- and long-term weather events.

Proven On-Orbit Technology Designed to Evolve

Our ABI is the primary instrument onboard NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R) series spacecraft – responsible for imaging the Western Hemisphere’s weather, oceans and environment. As the most advanced geostationary imager in the world, it can track a single storm, while simultaneously collecting continent-wide imagery, all from over 22,000 miles away from the surface of the Earth. We’ve also provided similar technology for the Japanese Meteorological Agency’s (JMA) Himawari-8 and -9 geostationary weather satellites and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's (KARI) second geostationary satellite, GEO-KOMPSAT-2A.

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Image: © L3Harris Technologies, Inc. 

CrIS is a key sensor on NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) spacecraft, flying approximately 500 miles from the surface of the Earth in low-Earth Orbit (LEO). It collects critical global atmospheric data that serves as the backbone of both short- and long-term forecasts, which are essential for severe weather prediction and preparation.

And we’re continuing to advance these capabilities to stay ahead of current and future weather threats by providing the next-generation imager for as well as a next-generation imager and sounder for JMA’s Himawari-10 mission.

The GeoXO program, the follow-on to NOAA’s GOES-R Series program, will bring new capabilities to address emerging environmental issues and challenges that threaten the security and well-being of every American – by advancing Earth observations from geostationary orbit (GEO). As the primary instrument for NOAA’s GeoXO mission, our GeoXO imager (GXI) technology will be used for a wide range of applications related to severe storms, hurricanes, fire, aviation, natural hazards, the atmosphere and ocean.

In parallel, Japan’s next-generation Himawari-10 geostationary weather satellite, scheduled to launch in 2029, will use similar L3Harris imaging technology as NOAA’s GeoXO satellite system. But it’ll also harness next-generation sounding technology from L3Harris to improve typhoon track and heavy rain predictions. In the face of intensifying and wide-ranging weather threats, this use of common technology building blocks and international collaboration is more important than ever for saving lives and protecting property globally.

Bringing Life-Saving Data Down to Earth: The Importance of Ground Systems

If weather satellites are meteorologists’ “eyes in the sky,” then ground systems are their “boots-on-the ground” – enabling forecasters across the country to issue severe weather watches and warnings to people at risk.

This complex network of technologies, including antennas and high-performance computing, works together to bring satellite data down to Earth, process it and then reliably distribute the resulting data products to thousands of direct users worldwide, such as forecasters, research scientists and the public. This is done in near real-time, 24/7, to ensure that those in harm’s way have enough advanced notice to evacuate or find shelter.

As a prime contractor to NOAA, L3Harris designed, developed and deployed the core functional elements of the high-throughput, rapid-processing NOAA GOES-R ground and antenna systems and was recently awarded a contract to extend the system’s functionality. L3Harris is also implementing high-performance computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced antenna technologies to ensure the U.S. has scalable, secure and reliable ground systems that deliver life-saving weather information faster than ever before.

We’re also currently integrating the command-and-control capability for NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On (SWFO) mission into the highly scalable, multi-mission GOES-R ground architecture to monitor and forecast space weather events with the potential to adversely impact national security and economic prosperity.