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
GOES-1 is prepared for launch atop its Delta 2914 rocket
Mission typeWeather satellite
OperatorNOAA / NASA
COSPAR ID1975-100A
SATCAT no.08366
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeSMS
ManufacturerFord Aerospace
Start of mission
Launch date16 October 1975, 22:40:00 (1975-10-16UTC22:40Z) UTC
RocketDelta 2914
Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-17B
ContractorMcDonnell Douglas
End of mission
DisposalDecommissioned
Deactivated7 March 1985 (1985-03-08)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Eccentricity0.0275
Perigee altitude34,165 kilometers (21,229 mi)
Apogee altitude36,458 kilometers (22,654 mi)
Inclination9.9º
Period1,412 minutes
 

Launch
GOES-A lifts off aboard Delta 2914 D116.

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
Artist's impression of GOES-1 in orbit

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

References
  1. "40 Years of GOES: The Anniversary of GOES-1 | NOAA NESDIS". www.nesdis.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  2. Phenix, James E. (1973). "Visible Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer" (PDF).
  3. Davis, Gary (October 2009). "History of the NOAA Satellite Program" (PDF).
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