HawkEye 360, a global leader in signals intelligence data and analytics, announced the successful geolocation of an environmental data transmitter that had been operating for several years on the GOES Data Collection System (DCS). The transmitter was occupying a valuable GOES uplink position used by more than 600 organizations in 42 countries for environmental and hazard monitoring. Its physical location could not be confirmed, which made it difficult for stakeholders to assess or adjust its operation.
“This mission demonstrates how our space-based signals intelligence can directly support the continuity of essential civil systems,” said Todd Probert, Chief Operating Officer at HawkEye 360. “Working with NOAA, we were able to pinpoint a transmitter that had been missing for years and return valuable spectrum to the organizations that depend on it for environmental monitoring and public safety.”
Although the transmitter continued to broadcast, its exact location was unknown, which meant the uplink slot could not be reassigned for other authorized users. NOAA partnered with HawkEye 360 to better understand the signal activity and determine the transmitter’s position using space-based RF data and analytics.
The device’s characteristics made it extremely difficult to isolate, transmitting for only 1.9 seconds at a time and using a narrow 1.5 kHz channel. The emitter operated among multiple simultaneous uplinks. HawkEye 360 provided NOAA with a precise geolocation, enabling the operator to verify the equipment and remove it. The action restored full availability of the uplink slot and returned the operator to compliance with federal regulations.
Importantly, pinpointing the source gave the operator enough insight to locate a second transmitter on their own. This led to the recovery of multiple non-functioning devices that had gone undetected for years and can now be refurbished and repurposed to support future environmental monitoring needs. The mission not only resolved an active interference issue but also strengthened the operator’s ability to maintain and optimize their broader sensor network.
Building on a Growing Record of Support to NOAA
This latest mission adds to HawkEye 360’s expanding portfolio of successful operations supporting NOAA’s efforts to safeguard the GOES DCS from harmful interference. Previous missions include:
- Identifying and helping resolve a persistent UHF uplink interferer impacting environmental data delivery across more than 50 countries.
- Geolocating a disruptive transmitter near Quito, Ecuador, enabling Ecuador’s telecommunications authority to remove an outdated device located on the slopes of Guagua Pichincha volcano.
Together, these missions underscore the growing importance of space-based RF intelligence in preserving the reliability of civil, non-military systems such as the GOES Weather System, which supports real-time volcanic monitoring, flood forecasting, tsunami alerts, and thousands of environmental sensors worldwide.
