GOES-18 Preparing for a new satellite

GOES-T 18 Preparing for a new satellite

UPDATED 08-02-2023

GOES 18, was successfully launched on March 1st, 2022. I will be documenting the modifications to the software that are being made to prepare for the new GOES 18 (and GOES-19) satellites on these pages.

See my blogposts for some video and pictures of GOES-T On the Road to Launch GOES-T: Road to Launch

GOES-T being Loaded onto a C-5 Super Galaxy Nov 9, 2021

What you need to do to receive GOES 18 when it arrives on-orbit at 137.0W

GOES-T/18 Transition to Operations – Post Launch Test (PLT) Schedule and Plans.

The following plan is based on the successful launch and checkout of the GOES-T/18 Satellite. It incorporates an early drift of GOES-18 to the West orbital slot and allows for early operational use of GOES-18 ABI to supplement GOES-17 ABI imagery.

Key Dates:
Launch: March 1, 2022
Post-Launch Checkout Part 1 at 89.5 W: Starts March 24, 2022
Drift to 136.8 W: May 16 – June 6, 2022
Post-Launch Checkout Part 2 at 136.8 W: Starts June 7, 2022
Interleaving GOES-18 ABI through GOES-17 GRB: August 1 – September 6, 2022
Instrument and product tests: September 6 – December 12, 2022
GOES-West Operations Declaration January 3, 2023

Key Dates:

Launch	March 1, 2022
Reach Geo Stationary Orbit	March 14,2022
Second stage solar array deployment	March 14,2022
Drift to 89.5°W	March 15=March 23, 2022
Post-Launch-Test/Checkout (PLT) Part 1	March 24 – May 15, 2022
Drift to 136.8 W	May 16 – June 6, 2022
Post-Launch-Test/Checkout (PLT) and PLPT Part 2	June 7 – January 3, 2023
1^st Interleaving GOES-18 ABI through GOES-17 GRB	August 1 – September 6, 2022
GOES-17 (GOES-West) Operations and GOES-18 Product Maturation Continues: GOES-18 Supplemental data for NWS via Cloud	September 6 – October 15, 2022
2^nd Interleaving GOES-18 ABI through GOES-17 GRB	October 15 – November 11, 2022
GOES-17 (GOES-West) Operations and GOES-18 Product Maturation Continues: GOES-18 Supplemental data for NWS via Cloud	November 11, 2022 – January 3, 2023
GOES-West Operations Declaration January 3, 2023

This is a lot to ingest, below is the summary:

Transition plan swaps GOES-17 with GOES-18 as the operational GOES-West satellite Assumes successful launch and checkout of GOES-T/18
Incorporates early drift of GOES-18 to the West operational longitude
Allows for early operational use of GOES-18 ABI after Beta maturity is achieved
The transition plan incorporates RF conflict mitigation between GOES-17/18 X-band and T&C uplinks/downlinks
Users do not need to re-point antennas
GOES-18 will be drifted to 136.8W to complete instrument PLT activities
0.4 deg offset from GOES-17 allows X-band RDL downlink from both G17/G18
0.2 deg offset from 137.0W meets ground product generation requirements
Both GOES-17 and GOES-18 images will be re-mapped to 137.0W
GOES-18 ABI data available to support the August GOES-17 ABI warm period
GOES-18 ABI data available via Cloud interface and interleaving with GOES-17 non-ABI product data
After the operational transition, GOES-18 is nudged over to 136.9°W
GOES-17 drifted to 104.7W and placed in on-orbit storage.

GOES 18 will be transmitted in the same frequency as 16 and 17, BUT, while it is in outgassing and instrument testing at 89.5° It will only be using DCN (Data Collection Network) DSN and NASA GN used during launch and orbit raising, Those frequencies are –
DSN Telemetry
2211.041
RHCP
2211.04
NRZ-L/BPSK/PM
1024 kHz sub-carrier
32 kbps CCSDS, on-orbit mode
4 kbps CCSDS, safe hold mode

DSN Command

RHCP
2036.0
NRZ-L/BPSK/PM
16 kHz sub-carrier
1 kbps CCSDS CLTU, safe hold mode
4 kbps CCSDS CLTU, on-orbit mode

DSN Ranging
2211.041
RHCP
2036.0
Tone Ranging
221/240 Phase coherent frequency ratio

GOES 18 Imagery during August 2022 Interleave Testing

Changes Necessary for GOESTOOLS

To successfully receive both the test imagery AND the final Imagery from GOES-18 you will need to do the following Items.

Back up your goesrecv.conf AND your goesr-goesproc.conf files
Update goestools to the latest version https://github.com/pietern/goestools
Edit your goesr-goesproc.conf file with the following handler.

Pieter (author of GOESTOOLS) has made the necessary changes to goestools to be able to receive and process GOES 18 and 19, I am currently running the new build and have tested it with sample raw data and it appears to be working.

Updating an existing system-

First BACK UP your goesproc-goesr.conf, goesrecv.conf. The update will overwrite those to the basic goestools files.
If you are running goesrecv and/or goesproc, shut them down.
Then use the following to update goestools to the current version, which includes support for GOES 18 (and GOES 19)

cd goestools
sudo git pull https://github.com/pietern/goestools.git 
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=/usr ..
sudo make install

sudo reboot

Now it’s time to add Handlers for GOES 18 reception, see the next section

No realignment or frequency changes are needed once it reaches 137.0°W

Until GOES 18 takes over for GOES 17, all interleaved imagery will be sent by GOES 17 from a ‘virtual perspective’ of 137° W (combing the images from G17 at 137.3° and G18 at 137°, 0.3° apart.)

Creating new GOESPROC-GOESR.CONF file

Modified GOESPROC-GOESR.CONF for GOES 18

Note that this section must be added for GOES 18 HRIT reception.

Add this section to your previously backed up goesproc-goesr.conf file directly after the GOES 17 section using the nano editor or a text editor such as Notepad++ : If you are using the standard gradients and false-color LUTs, then you will need to change those as well. This is done by adding the handler section below to your goesproc-goesr.conf located in /usr/share/goestools/.
This Handler is written to use my Custom LUT and Custom Curve files, they can be found on this page: Custom Color Lookup Table if you do not use these, then use the same LUT and Curve files in the default GOESTOOLS Package.

sudo nano /usr/share/goestools/goesproc-goesr.conf

# Added Ability to Decode GOES-18 Products
#
# Store all original GOES-18 products.
[[handler]]
type = "image"
origin = "goes18"
directory = "./goes18/{region:short|lower}/{channel:short|lower}/{time:%Y-%m-%d}"
filename = "GOES18_{region:short}_{channel:short}_{time:%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ}"
format = "jpg"
json = false

  [[handler.map]]
  path = "/usr/share/goestools/ne/ne_50m_admin_0_countries_lakes.json"

  [[handler.map]]
  path = "/usr/share/goestools/ne/ne_50m_admin_1_states_provinces_lakes.json"

# GOES-18 ABI false color USRADIOGUY CUSTOMLUT NO MAP and jpg.
[[handler]]
type = "image"
origin = "goes18"
regions = [ "fd" ]
channels = [ "ch02", "ch13" ]
directory = "./goes18/{region:short|lower}/CUSTOMLUT/{time:%Y-%m-%d}"
filename = "GOES18_{region:short}_FC_CUSTOMLUT_{time:%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ}"
format = "jpg"
json = false

  [handler.remap.ch02]
  path = "/home/pi/goes/usradioguy_goes16_ch02_curve.png"

  [handler.lut]
  path = "/home/pi/goes/usradioguycustomlut.png"


# GOES-18 ABI false color.
[[handler]]
type = "image"
origin = "goes18"
regions = [ "fd", "m1", "m2" ]
channels = [ "ch02", "ch13" ]
directory = "./goes18/{region:short|lower}/fc/{time:%Y-%m-%d}"
filename = "GOES18_{region:short}_FC_{time:%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ}"
format = "jpg"
json = false

  [handler.remap.ch02]
  path = "/usr/share/goestools/wxstar/wxstar_goes16_ch02_curve.png"

  [handler.lut]
  path = "/usr/share/goestools/wxstar/wxstar_goes16_lut.png"

  [[handler.map]]
  path = "/usr/share/goestools/ne/ne_50m_admin_0_countries_lakes.json"

  [[handler.map]]
  path = "/usr/share/goestools/ne/ne_50m_admin_1_states_provinces_lakes.json"

# GOES-18 ABI RGB-enhanced
[[handler]]
type = "image"
origin = "goes18"
regions = [ "fd", "m1", "m2" ]
channels = [ "ch07", "ch08", "ch09", "ch13", "ch14", "ch15" ]
directory = "./goes18/{region:short|lower}/{channel:short|lower}_enhanced/{time:%Y-%m-%d}"
filename = "GOES18_{region:short}_{channel:short}_enhanced_{time:%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ}"
format = "jpg"
json = false

  ## The following gradients are rough approximations of the 
  ## McIDAS RGB enhancements used by NOAA/NESDIS/STAR on their site..
  ##
  ## For more info:
  ##
  ##   https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/GOES16_FullDisk.php 
  ##   http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/visit/water_vapor_enhancement.html
  ##   http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/visit/enhanced_v_enhancements.html

  ## Shortwave IR (Channel 7)
  [handler.gradient.ch07]
  points = [
    { units = 400, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 250, color = "#b9b9b9" },
    { units = 249.999, color = "#00ffff" },
    { units = 240, color = "#000080" },
    { units = 230, color = "#00ff00" },
    { units = 220, color = "#ffff00" },
    { units = 210, color = "#ff0000" },
    { units = 200, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 190, color = "#ffffff" }
  ]

  ## Water Vapor (Channels 8 and 9)
  [handler.gradient.ch08]
  points = [
    { units = 276, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 275.9, color = "#ff0000" },
    { units = 258, color = "#ffff00" },
    { units = 250, color = "#000070" },
    { units = 233, color = "#ffffff" },
    { units = 195, color = "#408020" },
    { units = 178, color = "#00ffff" }
  ]
  [handler.gradient.ch09]
  points = [
    { units = 276, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 275.9, color = "#ff0000" },
    { units = 258, color = "#ffff00" },
    { units = 250, color = "#000070" },
    { units = 233, color = "#ffffff" },
    { units = 195, color = "#408020" },
    { units = 178, color = "#00ffff" }
  ]

  ## Longwave IR (Channels 13, 14, and 15)
  [handler.gradient.ch13]
  points = [
    { units = 333, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 238, color = "#b9b9b9" },
    { units = 237.999, color = "#00ffff" },
    { units = 228, color = "#000080" },
    { units = 218, color = "#00ff00" },
    { units = 208, color = "#ffff00" },
    { units = 198, color = "#ff0000" },
    { units = 188, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 178, color = "#ffffff" }
  ]
  [handler.gradient.ch14]
  points = [
    { units = 333, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 238, color = "#b9b9b9" },
    { units = 237.999, color = "#00ffff" },
    { units = 228, color = "#000080" },
    { units = 218, color = "#00ff00" },
    { units = 208, color = "#ffff00" },
    { units = 198, color = "#ff0000" },
    { units = 188, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 178, color = "#ffffff" }
  ]
  [handler.gradient.ch15]
  points = [
    { units = 333, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 238, color = "#b9b9b9" },
    { units = 237.999, color = "#00ffff" },
    { units = 228, color = "#000080" },
    { units = 218, color = "#00ff00" },
    { units = 208, color = "#ffff00" },
    { units = 198, color = "#ff0000" },
    { units = 188, color = "#000000" },
    { units = 178, color = "#ffffff" }
  ]

  [[handler.map]]
  path = "/usr/share/goestools/ne/ne_50m_admin_0_countries_lakes.json"

  [[handler.map]]
  path = "/usr/share/goestools/ne/ne_50m_admin_1_states_provinces_lakes.json"

This Handler is written to use my Custom LUT and Custom Curve files, they can be found on this page: Custom Color Lookup Table if you do not use these, then use the same LUT and Curve files in the default GOESTOOLS Package.

Copy the modified goesproc-goesr.conf file to the folder you call it from, on a standard goestools installation, this is typically /usr/share/goestools
As an example, let’s say you placed your newly edited goesproc-goesr.conf into your /home/pi/ folder, then using the following command, it will be copied into the /usr/share/goestools folder

sudo cp goesproc-goesr.conf /usr/share/goestools/

Once that is done:

sudo reboot

And if you did the edits properly, you should be good to go, now just wait for GOES 18!