Compact Coronagraph (CCOR) Accommodation on GOES-U

The CCOR-1 will monitor our Sun’s Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).  It will reside on the Sun-Pointing Platform (SPP) of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) -U in a geostationary orbit.  As a member of the GOES-R Series of satellites, GOES-U will provide advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s weather, oceans and environment, real-time mapping of total lightning activity, and as well as monitoring of solar activity and space weather. GOES-U is the final satellite in the GOES-R Series, with an expected launch date in April of 2024. 

 

The Compact Coronagraph (CCOR) instrument was designed, built, and tested by the United States Naval Research Laboratory. CCOR-1, the first in a series of coronagraphs, is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is managed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and will ultimately be operated by NOAA.  Using a series of images of the Sun’s coronal white-light, scientists at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) and National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) can determine the size, velocity, and density of these CMEs.  This information can then be used to assess and prepare for potential impacts of these solar storms on infrastructure here on Earth, as well as assets in space. 

 

CCOR-1 has completed instrument-level Integration and Testing (I&T), delivered to the GOES-U satellite integrator and is now mechanically integrated with the spacecraft. The integrated GOES-U satellite has completed Spacecraft-level Thermal Vacuum testing and is expected to complete all the remaining Spacecraft I&T activities by the EGU Conference date.

 

This paper presents the details on the CCOR-1 instrument, its integration onto the GOES-U satellite bus, and the expected performance.