GOES 6

GOES-6, known as GOES-F before becoming operational, was a geostationary weather satellite which was operated by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system.[1] Launched in 1983, it was used for weather forecasting in the United States.

GOES-6
Artist's impression of an HS-371 derived GOES satellite
Mission typeWeather satellite
OperatorNOAA / NASA
COSPAR ID1983-041A
SATCAT no.14050
Mission duration7 years (planned)
6 years (VISSR)
9 years (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
BusHS-371
ManufacturerHughes
Launch mass660 kilograms (1,460 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date28 April 1983, 22:26 (1983-04-28UTC22:26Z) UTC
RocketDelta 3914
Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-17A
ContractorMcDonnell Douglas
End of mission
DisposalDecommissioned
Deactivated19 May 1992 (1992-05-20)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude135° West (1983-1984)
97° West (1984)
108° West (1984-1987)
135° West (1987-1992)
SlotGOES-WEST (1983-1984, 1987-1992)
Semi-major axis42,151.0 kilometers (26,191.4 mi)
Perigee altitude35,759.4 kilometers (22,219.9 mi)
Apogee altitude35,800.9 kilometers (22,245.6 mi)
Inclination14.7°
Period1,435.1 minutes
 

GOES-6 was built by Hughes Space and Communications, and was based on the HS-371 satellite bus. At launch it had a mass of 660 kilograms (1,460 lb),[2] with an expected operational lifespan of around seven years.

Launch

GOES-F was launched using a Delta 3914 carrier rocket[3] flying from Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.[4] The launch occurred at 22:26 GMT on 28 April 1983.[5]

Orbit

The launch successfully placed GOES-F into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, from which it raised itself to geostationary orbit by means of an onboard Star 27 apogee motor, with insertion occurring on 9 May 1983.[6]

Following insertion into geosynchronous orbit, GOES-6 was positioned at 135° West. In 1984 it was moved, initially to 97° West, and later to 108° West to cover for the failure of the Visible Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer on GOES-5. After GOES-7 replaced GOES-5 in 1987, GOES-6 was returned to 135° West, where it remained for the rest of its operational life.[4] Its imager had failed on 21 January 1989,[1] leaving GOES-7 as the only operational GOES satellite for over five years, until the launch of GOES-8 in 1994. Following this failure, it remained operational as a relay satellite until it was retired to a graveyard orbit on 19 May 1992.[1][6]

Launch of GOES-F on a Delta 3914
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See also

References
  1. "GOES-6". The GOES Program - ESE 40th Anniversary. NASA. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  2. "GOES-6". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  3. Krebs, Gunter. "GOES 4, 5, 6, G, 7". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  4. Wade, Mark. "GOES". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  5. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  6. McDowell, Jonathan. "Index". Geostationary Orbit Catalog. Jonathan's Space Page. Archived from the original on 2010-04-06. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
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