NUMBER 136
DATE: 11/04/94
Sector Processing Center (SPC):
During September, NOA, ESA, JMA, CSU and AES processed greater than 98% of A data into B1/B2 data.
Normal operations for September were reported by ESA, JMA, AES and CSU.
CSU began delivering GOES-7 B1/B2 data (82% successfully collected for September) as a backup to continuing AES collections, so that the transition to GOES-8 will not cause a large data loss. GOES-8 check-out continues. The reference to operations beginning in late October 94 only refers to handing over of satellite operations from NASA to NOAA; routine data collection is not anticipated until the end of this year.
NOAA reported loss of the AVHRR on NOAA-11 on 13 September due to a scan motor failure.
At the request of the SCC, both NOAA and ESA obtained special AC datasets for September to allow normalization of METEOSAT-5 to NOAA-12 as an experiment. AC requests for October onwards will provide coincidence between the geostationary images and NOAA-12 images until a replacement for NOAA-11 is launched.
Special Area Processing Center (SAPC):
No report received.
Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):
AC data were received for September 94 from GMS-4, GOES-7 and NOAA-11. Special AC for METEOSAT-5 and NOAA-12 were requested for September 94. BC data for July 94 from GMS-4 and METEOSAT-5 were sent to the GPC.
Global Processing Center (GPC):
The GPC continued to receive B2 data, BC data and correlative data in a routine manner.
Production of NOAA-11 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data have been produced though April 92.
Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data for NOAA-12 have been produced through April 92.
Production of GOES-7 (preliminary) B3 data is current. The processing of the UWS replacement B2 data continues. Final B3 data for GOES-7 have been produced through December 91.
Production of METEOSAT-3 (preliminary) B3 data is current.
Production of METEOSAT-5 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data for METEOSAT-4 have been produced through June 92.
Production of GMS-4 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data for GMS-4 have been produced through December 91.
Production of all INSAT-1 (preliminary) B3 data has been completed.
The remaining B3 data for 91 are being shipped to the ICA. Also, a new BT dataset reporting the new calibration of all the old B3 data is being shipped to replace the current BT dataset.
Production of the ice/snow and TOVS correlative datasets is current: we have sea ice data through 92 and snow data through 93. The delivery of sea ice data for 93 is being arranged.
Re-processing of the special datasets continues. All four months of the TOGA-COARE dataset have been completed and shipped and one month of data for the Surface Radiation Budget project has been completed.
ISCCP Central Archive (ICA):
The ICA continued to receive B1 data from NOA, AES, ESA, CSU and JMA and B3 and C data from the GPC in a routine manner.
The health of GMS-4, METEOSAT-3 (at 75 W), METEOSAT-5, GOES-7 and NOAA-12 remained good. The AVHRR scan motor problem on NOAA-11 caused the loss of these data. The launch of NOAA-J (to replace NOAA-11) is still scheduled for 4 December 94 with operations planned to begin by the end of the year. Check out of GOES-8 continues: a small failure in the sounder scan motor has occurred but it does not affect data quality. Handover of GOES-8 operations from NASA to NOAA was planned for late October, but routine data collection is not expected to begin until the end of the year. Launch of the Russian geostationary satellite (formerly called GOMS, now called ELECTRA) was scheduled for 26 October 94, but there is no news yet as to whether launch happened as planned. This satellite would be operated at 76E longitude and would provide both visible and IR imagery. China has announced plans to launch their geostationary satellite by late 95.
Stage B3: July 83 - December 91
Stage CD: July 83 - December 91
Stage C1: July 83 - June 91
Stage C2: July 83 - June 91
Delivering sea ice correlative data for 93 to GPC.
Delivery backlog for B3 data = 27 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 102 months have been archived.
Delivery backlog for C1/C2 data = 33 months (with respect to planned schedule). C1 data for 96 months have been archived.