How to Drift a Satellite: What Happens when NOAA GOES-16 is Moved into Operational Position

NOAA GOES-16, the newest and most advanced geostationary weather satellite, will begin moving into its operational orbit on November 30 – just over a year after it was first launched. After a three-week transition period known as “drift”, NOAA GOES-16 will replace NOAA GOES-13 as the primary satellite monitoring the skies over eastern North America and the western Atlantic Ocean. Here is everything you need to know about GOES-16’s journey to its new orbital position.