GOES Weather Satellite Imaging Instruments (ABI / Advanced Baseline Imager)

The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) is the primary imaging instrument on NOAA's GOES-East (GOES-16) and GOES-West (GOES-17/18) geostationary weather satellites, providing 16-channel multispectral imagery used for all US weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, hurricane monitoring, wildfire detection, and flood mapping. L3Harris (via predecessor Harris Corporation) is the sole manufacturer of the ABI under a multi-satellite contract. Each ABI takes years to design and manufacture; there is no alternative supplier. A failure of the ABI instrument on an operational satellite would immediately degrade US weather forecast accuracy.