GOES-T (GOES-18)

NOAA follows a naming convention where GOES satellites receive a letter designation during development and early operations (GOES-T in this case), then are assigned a number upon reaching geostationary orbit and passing post-launch checkout. GOES-T was officially renamed GOES-18 after successfully reaching its orbital slot and completing its initial instrument calibration. This practice has been used throughout the GOES-R series, where GOES-R became GOES-16, GOES-S became GOES-17, and GOES-U became GOES-19.

GOES-17 suffered a malfunction in its Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) cooling system, specifically a blockage in the loop heat pipe that transported heat away from the instrument's detectors. This caused 13 of the ABI's 16 channels, particularly the infrared bands, to overheat and lose data during parts of the day, especially during the spring and fall eclipse seasons. GOES-18 was launched as its replacement to restore full imaging capability for the GOES-West coverage area.

GOES-T launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket on March 1, 2022, from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Atlas V 541 configuration, which includes four solid rocket boosters, is the same variant that previously launched GOES-R (GOES-16), GOES-S (GOES-17), and NASA's Perseverance rover. The launch was managed by NASA's Launch Services Program on behalf of NOAA.

GOES-18 operates from a geostationary orbit positioned at 137.2° West longitude, where it serves as the operational GOES-West satellite. From this vantage point it provides continuous weather imagery for the western United States, Alaska, Hawaii, the eastern Pacific Ocean, and parts of Central America. This position complements GOES-East (GOES-16 at 75.2°W), together giving NOAA complete coverage of the Western Hemisphere.