Contact:  Randee Exler             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                   10/27/98

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-10 weather satellite will take over the functions of its companion GOES-8, of monitoring the movements of Hurricane Mitch, an extremely dangerous storm in the western Caribbean, as NOAA engineers tonight begin recovery operations on a malfunction with the GOES-8 satellite, the Commerce Department agency announced. The satellite data will continue to flow without a break to meteorologists at NOAA's Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center, in Miami, Fla., who are providing warnings about Hurricane Mitch.

Fortunately, because of the location of Hurricane Mitch, we have a good view of the storm using GOES-10," said Gerald Dittberner, NOAA's GOES program manager.

"The National Weather Service does not see any impact to operations for Hurricane Mitch due to this anomaly at this time, and we do not foresee a break in GOES data or hurricane images," said National Hurricane Center Director Jerry Jarrell.

This morning at approximately 3 a.m. EST, satellite controllers at NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service's Satellite Operations Control Center in Suitland, Md., commanded the GOES-8 into a neutral status, called a "safe hold," when the satellite experienced a problem with its ability to point towards Earth. Preliminary engineering analysis indicates an anomaly with either the satellite's earth sensor or the attitude and orbit control electronics may be responsible. GOES-8 is located east of Miami along the equator at 75 degrees west. Imagery and atmospheric data from this satellite are not available while GOES-8 is in a safe hold.

At approximately 7 a.m. EST this morning, GOES-10 was commanded to cover for the GOES-8 outage. GOES-10 is positioned over the Pacific Ocean (135 degrees West). In this mode, customers in the Western part of the country will continue to receive their GOES images. Both eastern and western users will now receive data and images once every 30, rather than 15, minutes.

The Tropical Prediction Center is monitoring the western Atlantic and Caribbean using a combination of GOES-10 and the European satellite Meteosat-7. While this area can be safely monitored, detail is lost due to distortion.

NOAA's GOES satellites have produced an excellent set of real-time weather data for weather forecasters and researchers. It is the same imagery seen daily on TV weather forecasts. NOAA's National Weather Service combines the satellite date with data from Doppler radars and automated surface observing systems to improve weather forecasts and numerical models. Better warnings of thunderstorms, winter storms, flash floods, hurricanes, and other severe weather help to save lives, preserve property, and benefit commercial interests.

NOAA's NESDIS funds and operates the GOES series of satellites. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center manages the design, development, and launch of the GOES spacecraft for NOAA. The GOES satellites are built under contract through NASA by Space Systems/Loral of Palo Alto, Calif.