 Artist's impression of an SMS-series GOES satellite in orbit | |
| Mission type | Weather satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | NOAA /NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1977-048A |
| SATCATno. | 10061 |
| Mission duration | 24 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | SMS |
| Manufacturer | Ford Aerospace |
| Launch mass | 295 kilograms (650 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 June 1977, 10:51:00 (1977-06-16UTC10:51Z) UTC |
| Rocket | Delta 2914 |
| Launch site | Cape CanaveralLC-17B |
| Contractor | McDonnell Douglas |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Deactivated | 5 May 2001, 21:08 (2001-05-05UTC21:09Z) UTC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Longitude | 75° West (1977-1978) 100-110° West (1978-1984) 112-114° West (1984-1990) 60° West (1990-1992) 135° West (1992-1995) 177° West (1995-2001)[1][2] |
| Perigee altitude | 35,972 kilometres (22,352 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 36,094 kilometres (22,428 mi) |
| Inclination | 13.7696º |
| Period | 24 hours |
| Epoch | 17 May 2016, 10:12:31 UTC[3] |
GOES-2, known asGOES-B before becoming operational, was a geostationaryweather satellite which was operated by the United StatesNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of theGeostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system.[4] GOES-2 was built byFord Aerospace, and was based on thesatellite bus developed for theSynchronous Meteorological Satellite programme. At launch it had a mass of 295 kilograms (650 lb).[5] It was positioned in geostationary orbit, from where it was used forweather forecasting in the United States. Following its retirement as a weather satellite, it was used as a communications satellite until its final decommissioning in 2001.
GOES-B was launched using aDelta 2914 carrier rocket flying fromLaunch Complex 17B at theCape Canaveral Air Force Station.[2] The launch occurred at 10:51:00 GMT on 16 June 1977.[6] The launch successfully placed GOES-B into ageostationary transfer orbit, from which it raised itself to geostationary orbit by means of an onboardSVM-5 apogee motor. Its insertion into geosynchronous orbit occurred at 03:26 GMT on 17 June.[1]
Following on-orbit testing, GOES-B was redesignated GOES-2, and replacedSMS-1 at alongitude of 60 degrees west. It was operated as a weather satellite at several different positions until 1993, and was then placed into storage. It was reactivated as acommunications satellite in 1995, and moved to 177° West. It was used byPeacesat to provide communications services to islands in thePacific Ocean, a role in which it was replaced byGOES 7 in 1999, and by the USNational Science Foundation for communications with theAmundsen–Scott South Pole Station. On 5 May 2001, it was retired to agraveyard orbit. At 21:08 GMT, two hours after the last manoeuvre to remove it from geosynchronous orbit, GOES-2 was commanded to deactivate its communications system, preventing future ground commands being sent to it.
| SMS (predecessor) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| SMS derived | ||
| 1st generation | ||
| 2nd generation | ||
| 3rd generation | ||
| 4th generation | ||
