“I think when I started as a hurricane forecaster in 2008 … you had much less frequent imagery, much lower resolution. You had eclipse blackouts of imagery around the times of the equinox where you would remember working in the midnight shift, and you would go two or three hours without a satellite picture,” he said.

GOES-U is expected to serve as the Atlantic watchdog for at least 10 years. The first replacement for the current stable of satellites, called the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellites, won’t come until at least 2032, although Lockheed Martin and L3Harris are on board to work on them as well.

“GeoXO will have advanced instruments that provide an order of magnitude more data,” said Sullivan.

That includes more precise tracking of fires and storms, an ocean color sensor to monitor water quality and hazards, and atmospheric sensors to track air pollution and improve weather modeling, she said.

“GEO capabilities will help us address the challenges of a changing planet from more unpredictable weather to more prevalent harmful algal blooms to more widespread wildfires,” she said.

Getting some extra fuel stored for the long haul for GOES-U with the Falcon Heavy’s power only helps ensure continuity until the GeoXO satellites arrive and keep its watchful eye on weather for years to come, she said.

“We’ve got that constant view up there and we’re really seeing some interesting phenomena that’s improving our understanding of weather systems as well as being the day-to-day help that the forecaster needs,” Sullivan said.

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