GOES 6
Encyclopedia
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. Launched in 1983, it was used for weather forecasting in the United States.
GOES 6 was built by Hughes Space and Communications
, and was based around the HS-371 satellite bus
. At launch it had a mass of 660 kilograms (1,455.1 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of around seven years.
GOES-F was launched using a Delta 3914
carrier rocket flying from Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
. The launch occurred at 22:26 GMT on 28 April 1983. 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.
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. Its imager had failed on 21 January 1989, 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.
Weather satellite
The weather satellite is a type of satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be either polar orbiting, seeing the same swath of the Earth every 12 hours, or geostationary, hovering over the same spot on Earth by orbiting over the equator while...
which was operated by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
as part of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
The Geostationary Satellite system, operated by the United States National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service , supports weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorology research. Spacecraft and ground-based elements of the system work together to provide a continuous...
system. Launched in 1983, it was used for weather forecasting in the United States.
GOES 6 was built by Hughes Space and Communications
Boeing Satellite Development Center
The Boeing Satellite Development Center is a major business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. It brought together Boeing satellite operations with that of GM Hughes Electronics' Space and Communications division.-History:...
, and was based around the HS-371 satellite bus
Satellite bus
A satellite bus or spacecraft bus is the general model on which multiple-production satellite spacecraft are often based. The bus is the infrastructure of a spacecraft, usually providing locations for the payload .They are most commonly used for geosynchronous satellites, particularly...
. At launch it had a mass of 660 kilograms (1,455.1 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of around seven years.
GOES-F was launched using a Delta 3914
Delta 3000
The Delta 3000 series was an American expendable launch system which was used to conduct thirty five orbital launches between 1975 and 1989. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets. Several variants existed, which were differentiated by a four digit numerical code.The first stage was the...
carrier rocket flying from Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
. The launch occurred at 22:26 GMT on 28 April 1983. 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.
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
GOES 5
GOES 5, known as GOES-E 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...
. After GOES 7
GOES 7
GOES 7, known as GOES-H before becoming operational, is an American satellite. It was originally built as a weather satellite, and formed part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. Originally built as a ground spare,...
replaced GOES 5 in 1987, GOES 6 was returned to 135° West, where it remained for the rest of its operational life. Its imager had failed on 21 January 1989, leaving GOES 7 as the only operational GOES satellite for over five years, until the launch of GOES 8
GOES 8
GOES 8, known as GOES-I before becoming operational, was an American weather satellite, which formed part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. It was launched in 1994, and operated until 2004 when it was retired and...
in 1994. Following this failure, it remained operational as a relay satellite until it was retired to a graveyard orbit
Graveyard orbit
A graveyard orbit, also called a supersynchronous orbit, junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an orbit significantly above synchronous orbit, where spacecraft are intentionally placed at the end of their operational life...
on 19 May 1992.