Meet America's Newest, High-Techiest Weather Satellite

(pop music)

[Narrator] You're looking at America's latest

spying eye in the sky.

But have no fear,

the NSA isn't at the controls.

This is latest, highest tech weather satellite from NOAA

called GOES-16.

Compared to it's predecessor,

it has three times the spectral channels

and four times the resolution

all with five times the efficiency.

This thing can see everything.

Sulfur dioxide emissions from volcanoes,

melting snow packs,

and it can even distinguish between fog and clouds.

Hell, I can't even distinguish between fog and clouds

half the time.

GOES-16 can scan the United States in five minutes

and the whole planet in 15.

Perhaps more pressingly,

it can detect flashes of lightening

across the Western hemisphere.

Lightening you see is a dependable early warning sign

of severe weather including tornadoes.

All told, GOES-16 is a supremely powerful tool

for NOAA to predict weather of any kind.

That's particularly important on a planet

who's climate is descending into turmoil.

Scientists need to closely monitor weather

to understand how the planet is evolving

and how cutting carbon emissions plays into that.

Weather is getting weirder that's for sure.

But the trusty GOES-16 will be up above

helping scientists make sense of it all.

Oh, and making sure you know when to wear your galoshes.