NUMBER 137

DATE: 12/06/94

Sector Processing Center (SPC):

During October, NOA, ESA, JMA, AES, and CSU processed greater than 89% of A data into B1/B2 data.

Normal operations for October were reported by NOAA, ESA, JMA, and CSU.

CSU collected 91% of the GOES-7 B1/B2 for October; while AES began experiencing problems with telemetry signal degradation between 1200 - 2100 UTC. These problems will continue to worsen as the GOES-7 orbit inclination increases with time. AES may well lose the signal altogether when GOES-7 begins drifting westward this month (17 December 94) to take position at 135W where it will serve as GOES-WEST until GOES-J is launched in April 95. Meanwhile GOES-8 will begin to drift eastward to the EAST position in mid-January 95. AES has not reported on its readiness to process GOES-8 data.

ESA reported a change of gain (from step 8 to 9) for the METEOSAT-5 Water Vapor channel on 26 October 94 at 0800 UTC.

At the request of the SCC, JMA also obtained special AC datasets for September to allow normalization of GMS-4 to NOAA-12 as an experiment.

Special Area Processing Center (SAPC):

No report received.

Satellite Calibration Center (SCC):

AC data were received for September 94 from METEOSAT-3 and METEOSAT-5 and for October 94 from NOAA-12, GOES-7, METEOSAT-3, METEOSAT-5 and GMS-4. Special AC for GMS-4 were also requested for September 94. BC data for July 94 from METEOSAT-3 and GOES-7 were sent to the GPC.

A preliminary attempt to compare METEOSAT Water Vapor channel radiances to the "same" channel radiances on HIRS (NOAA polar orbiter) shows some recognizable resemblance of the images; however, there are two obvious problems that require more investigation. First, the HIRS and METEOSAT spectral band widths are very different, so further study will be required to determine whether these differences preclude a normalization procedure. Second, the much lower spatial resolution of HIRS data will require further study to determine whether navigation and co-location will be affected.

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 August 92.

Production of NOAA-12 (preliminary) B3 data is current. Final B3 data for NOAA-12 have been produced through August 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 June 92; however, an error in the IR calibration tables was discovered and needs to be corrected before delivery.

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 June 92.

Production of all INSAT-1 (preliminary) B3 data has been completed.

Production of the ice/snow and TOVS correlative datasets is current: we have sea ice data through 92 and snow data through 93.

Re-processing of the special datasets has been completed except for one month for the SRB project and ASTEX. Four months of data for the Surface Radiation Budget project were completed. Routine processing, both forwards and backwards in time from 1 July 91 will begin this month.

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 launch of NOAA-J (to replace NOAA-11) is scheduled for today, 6 December 94. Check out of GOES-8 continues: full operations are planned for early in the new year. GOES-7 will begin moving towards 135W in mid-December and GOES-8 will begin moving towards 75W in mid-January. ELEKTRO, the Russian geostationary satellite (formerly called GOMS and incorrectly named in the last report) was successfully launched on 31 October 94 and will operate at 76E.

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 = 28 months (with respect to planned schedule). B3 data for 102 months have been archived.

Delivery backlog for C1/C2 data = 34 months (with respect to planned schedule). C1 data for 96 months have been archived.