![](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/images\/2023\/08\/230826_goes16_abiBands_01_16_rocketPlumeRGB_SpaceX_Crew7_launch_anim.gif\")
<\/a>Stepped sequence of GOES-16 images from all 16 ABI spectral bands, plus a Rocket Plume RGB; KXMR denotes the location of the Cape Kennedy rawinsonde launch site [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>Overlapping 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sectors provided GOES-16\u00a0(GOES-East)<\/em>\u00a0images at 30-second intervals from all 16 of the\u00a0ABI<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0spectral bands\u00a0(above)<\/strong><\/em>, which displayed the northeast-moving bright reflectance and\/or the warm thermal signature of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster as the Crew-7 Mission was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 0727 UTC (3:27 AM EST) on 26 August 2023<\/strong><\/a>. The low-altitude rocket launch condensation cloud was also evident in imagery from the Infrared bands (07-16), located just offshore from the launch site. One or both of these rocket launch signatures were unambiguously detected by 15 of 16 of the ABI spectral bands (02-16), as well as Rocket Plume RGB<\/strong><\/a> images. A notable feature was the signature of the Stage 1 “Boostback Burn” — where the expansion\/cooling of the rocket engine’s gas plume was apparent in the Band 08 image at 0730 UTC<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Note: the default enhancements of the Visible bands (01 and 02) and Near-Infrared bands (03-06) were modified, to help better visualize the nighttime rocket signature.<\/p>\n A 16-panel display of GOES-16 ABI spectral bands at 0728 UTC (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed the rocket signature in bands 02-16 at that time.<\/p>\n 16-panel display of GOES-16 ABI spectral bands at 0728 UTC [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>In fact, a very subtle reflectance signature was also apparent in ABI spectral band 01 immediately after launch at 0727 UTC — it was partially masked by the map overlay, which was removed for the 0726-0727 UTC comparison seen below.<\/p>\n 16-panel display of GOES-16 ABI spectral bands at 0726 and 0727 UTC [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>A zoomed-in view using a stepped sequence of GOES-16 images from 16 ABI spectral bands 03, 05, 06 and 07 (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed the brighter\/warmer signature of the Falcon 9 rocket Stage 1 Landing Burn at 0734 UTC, as it successfully returned to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.<\/p>\n Stepped sequence of GOES-16 images from 16 ABI spectral bands 03, 05, 06 and 07, 0733-0735 UTC [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>A GOES-18 (GOES-West)<\/em> Mesoscale Domain Sector was also positioned over the region, providing 1-minute images from a more oblique perspective (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n Stepped sequence of GOES-18 images from all 16 ABI spectral bands [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>A 16-panel display of GOES-18 ABI spectral bands at 0728 UTC (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed that rocket signature was evident in bands 02-16 (as was the case with GOES-16).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>