GOES 1
GOES-1, designated GOES-A and SMS-C prior to entering service, was a weather satellite operated by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was the first Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite to be launched.[1]
GOES-1 is prepared for launch atop its Delta 2914 rocket | |
Mission type | Weather satellite |
---|---|
Operator | NOAA / NASA |
COSPAR ID | 1975-100A |
SATCAT no. | 08366 |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | SMS |
Manufacturer | Ford Aerospace |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 16 October 1975, 22:40:00 UTC |
Rocket | Delta 2914 |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-17B |
Contractor | McDonnell Douglas |
End of mission | |
Disposal | Decommissioned |
Deactivated | 7 March 1985 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Geostationary |
Eccentricity | 0.0275 |
Perigee altitude | 34,165 kilometers (21,229 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 36,458 kilometers (22,654 mi) |
Inclination | 9.9º |
Period | 1,412 minutes |
Launch
GOES-A was launched atop a Delta 2914 from Launch Complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch occurred at 22:40:00 UTC on October 16, 1975, and left the satellite in a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Following launch, it raised itself to a geostationary orbit by means of its onboard SVM-5 apogee motor, at which time it was redesignated GOES-1.
Operations
It was positioned over the Indian Ocean to gather data for the Global Atmospheric Research Programme. GOES-1 was equipped with a Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR),[2] which provided day and night[1] imagery of terrestrial cloud conditions. It returned its first image on October 25, 1975, nine days after launch. The satellite continuously monitored weather events and relayed this meteorological data from over 10,000 surface locations into a central processing center. The data was then incorporated into weather prediction models. It also carried a Space Environment Monitor and a Data Collection System, derived from those used on TIROS satellites.
GOES-1 was replaced by GOES-3, which was launched in 1978. After finishing operations over the Indian Ocean, it was moved to replace SMS-2 over the Pacific Ocean. It remained operational there until February 3, 1985[3] and it was deactivated by NASA on March 7, 1985.[1]
See also
- Synchronous Meteorological Satellite (SMS-A, SMS-B)
References
- "40 Years of GOES: The Anniversary of GOES-1 | NOAA NESDIS". www.nesdis.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
- Phenix, James E. (1973). "Visible Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer" (PDF).
- Davis, Gary (October 2009). "History of the NOAA Satellite Program" (PDF).