There are several satellites that aid in the advanced warning that we have come to rely on since the dawn of the Space Age. The most familiar satellite family is the G.O.E.S. family. Short for Geosynchronus Operational Environmental Satellite, the GOES family provides us with most of the satellite pics we see on TV and in print. The most recent GOES satellites, the GOES 8 (covers the Atlantic Basin- also called GOES East) and the GOES 9 (covers the Pacific- also known as GOES West).