GOES-17 ABI Mode 6 Testing

January 25, 2019

  2:30 minute read

Beginning on January 28th at 1300z until January 30th at 1300z, GOES-17 will be operating in Mode 6, which means full disk images are produced every ten minutes.

As you may remember, the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) that flies on the GOES-R series of satellites has traditionally operated in two modes, which are the following:

  • Flex Mode (Mode 3) is the "normal" operational mode of the satellite that forecasters are mostly used to. In this mode, a Full Disk image is taken every fifteen minutes, a CONUS/PACUS image is taken every five minutes, and two different areas can be targeted for Mesoscale imagery every one minute (or one area can be targeted every thirty seconds). The satellites usually operate in this mode.
  • Full Disk Mode (Mode 4) is the second operational mode of the GOES-R series, where a Full Disk image is taken every five minutes. From that image, the CONUS/PACUS image is extracted and also produced. There are no Mesoscale images taken in this mode. The satellites only operate in this mode if requested (which doesn't happen very often). An example of when a Full Disk request might be made is when multiple tropical cyclones are in the open ocean beyond the CONUS/PACUS domain.

The GOES-R program office has added a third mode, which is Mode 6.

  • Mode 6 is the third operational mode of the GOES-R series, where a Full Disk image is taken every ten minutes, a CONUS/PACUS image is taken every five minutes, and two different areas can be targeted for Mesoscale imagery every one minute (or one area can be targeted every thirty seconds). In other words, Mode 6 is EXACTLY the same as Flex Mode (Mode 3), except that you get two extra Full Disk images every hour! This is due to Mode 6 exploiting the downtime during Flex Mode when the satellite isn't taking any imagery.

In all likelihood, Mode 6 will replace Flex Mode on both GOES-16 and GOES-17 in the near future since there is additional imagery gained with no trade off. This will also put the GOES-R series in line with the international standard of taking Full Disk images every 10 minutes (much like the Meteosat and Himawari satellites). In the meantime, tests such as this one will occur from time to time to ensure NESDIS systems are ready for the transition.

Requests for Full Disk Mode (Mode 4) during this two-day test will not be allowed, however forecasters can still make Mesoscale requests for GOES-17 as usual. At the conclusion of the test, GOES-17 will revert back to the usual Flex Mode.