NOAA GOES A-C Series Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) and GOES D-H Series VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) Data

GOES Satellite Data - VISSR/VAS (GOES-7 and earlier) - The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series of satellites goal is to monitor the atmosphere for severe weather development such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes. The positioning of the GOES satellites at around 36,000 km (22,000 statute miles) above the equator at a fixed position above the earth allowed them to scan large geographic regions of the Western Hemisphere and as frequently as once every half hour. Coverage is typically provided by two GOES spacecraft, one at -75.0 Longitude (GOES East) and the other at -135.0 Longitude (GOES West). The Visible and Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) was flown aboard NOAA Synchronous Meteorological Satellite (SMS-1 and SMS-2) and GOES-1 through GOES-3 and modified to become the VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) flown aboard GOES-4 through GOES-7.