Solar X-ray Imager

The SXI on GOES 12 was the first of its kind and allows the U.S. NOAA to better monitor and predict space weather.

The Solar X-ray Imager aboard the GOES 12, GOES 13, GOES 14, and GOES 15 NOAA weather satellites is used for early detection of solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and space phenomena that impact human spaceflight and military and commercial satellite communications.

[3] The imagery obtained by the XSI and XRS on GOES 12 allowed forecasters to see space phenomena such as coronal holes, whose geomagnetic and proton storms impact electrical grid systems on Earth as well as radio communications and satellite communications systems.

[2][3] The XSI and XRS sensors on GOES 12 failed due to a problem with the electrical system which controls the north-south motion functionality of the instruments on April 12, 2007.

Due to limited field of view of the x-ray instrumentation, the XSI and XRS and been permanently deactivated.