Satellite sector moved
Satellite moves MDS STATUS...
Each GOES weather satellite has two “mesoscale sectors” — small, movable windows that the satellite photographs roughly every 60 seconds, far more often than its routine full-disk and continental scans. Forecasters aim them at whatever is most important that day. This section announces where they are being pointed and for how long.
GOES-West is pointing mesoscale sector 1 at a point about 220 mi E of Jacksonville, FL — in support of space launch ops in Florida. GOES-E MDS Sector 1 will be centered over 30N/78W from 01/1310Z to 01/1540Z in support of space launch ops in Florida. GOES-E MDS Sector 2 will be centered over 31N/77W from 01/1440Z to 01/1550Z in support of space launch ops in Florida. That means this patch of sky gets a fresh satellite image about once a minute instead of every 5 to 10 minutes, so forecasters can watch storms develop almost in real time.
- Centre point
- 30.0°N, 78.0°W view on map
- Window
- from until
- Reason given
- space launch ops in Florida. GOES-E MDS Sector 1 will be centered over 30N/78W from 01/1310Z to 01/1540Z in support of space launch ops in Florida. GOES-E MDS Sector 2 will be centered over 31N/77W from 01/1440Z to 01/1550Z in support of space launch ops in Florida
Show the original message
Exactly as NWS transmitted it. Everything above is our plain-English reading of this text — if the two ever disagree, this is the authoritative version.
000 NOUS42 KWNO 301949 ADMSDM SENIOR DUTY METEOROLOGIST NWS ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE NWS CENTRAL OPERATIONS COLLEGE PARK MD 1948Z WED SEP 30 2026 MDS STATUS... GOES-W MDS Sector 1 will be centered over 30N/78W from 01/1440Z to 01/1540Z in support of space launch ops in Florida. GOES-E MDS Sector 1 will be centered over 30N/78W from 01/1310Z to 01/1540Z in support of space launch ops in Florida. GOES-E MDS Sector 2 will be centered over 31N/77W from 01/1440Z to 01/1550Z in support of space launch ops in Florida. Green/SDM/NCO