GOES-16, formerly known as GOES-R before reaching geostationary orbit, is the first of the GOES-R series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) operated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). GOES-16 serves as the operational geostationary weather satellite in the GOES East position at 75.2°W, providing a view centered on the Americas. GOES-16 provides high spatial and temporal resolution imagery of the Earth through 16 spectral bands at visible and infrared wavelengths using its Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). GOES-16’s Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) is the first operational lightning mapper flown in geostationary orbit. The spacecraft also includes four other scientific instruments for monitoring space weather and the Sun. (WIKI Description to save me from trying to explain it.)

GOES-17 (formerly GOES-S) is the second of the current generation of weather satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The four satellites of the series (GOES-16, -17, –T, and –U) will extend the availability of the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system) until 2036 for weather forecast and meteorology research. The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin, was based on the A2100A platform, and will have an expected useful life of 15 years (10 years operational after five years of standby as an on-orbit replacement).^[7] GOES-17 is intended to deliver high-resolution visible and infrared imagery and lightning observations of more than half the globe.^[8]

The satellite was launched on 1 March 2018^[3] and reached geostationary orbit on 12 March 2018.^[9] In May 2018, during the satellite’s testing phase after launch, a problem was discovered with its primary instrument, the Advanced Baseline Imager.^[10][11] GOES-17 became operational as GOES-West on 12 February 2019.^[2]