|
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.[1] Launched in 1981, it was used for weather forecasting in the United States.  GOES-5 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. GOES-E 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 22:29 GMT on 22 May 1981.[5] The launch successfully placed GOES-E into a geostationary transfer orbit, from which it raised itself to geostationary orbit on 2 June by means of an onboard Star 27 apogee motor.[3][6] Following insertion into geostationary orbit, GOES-5 was briefly placed at a longitude 85° West, however by the end of 1981, it had been moved to 75° West. It remained there until 1987, when it was moved to 106° West. In 1988 it was relocated to 65° West, where it operated until 1989.[4] The primary instrument carried aboard GOES-5, the Visible Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer or VISSR, failed in 1984.[2] The GOES-1 and GOES-4 satellites were reactivated to fill the gap in coverage until a replacement could be launched. It was finally replaced by the ground spare, GOES-H, in 1987 after its intended replacement, GOES-G, failed to reach orbit. GOES-5 was retired to a graveyard orbit on 18 July 1990.[1][6] See alsoReferences
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
