This Monday (Sept. 24th) a weather observing satellite called GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) 13 failed after behaving erratic for a few days. GOES 13 or GOES East is located over the eastern coast of the united states and it relays important weather information to meteorologists. There is good news though, GOES 14 was sent into space in 2009 as a back up to GOES 13.
NOAA officials say GOES 14 is now the primary satellite over the Atlantic basin and the continental United States, until GOES 13 can be diagnosed and fixed. GOES 14 also has a few extra features, including a extra sensor for relaying distress signals from emergency beacons and also it can monitor solar activity during solar storms.
The first GOES satellite was launched back in 1974 and GOES 13 was launched in 2006. As a note, these geostationary satellites orbit the earth at the same speed of the Earths rotation. That way it can continuously monitor weather patterns over a certain area of the Earth.
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