Artist's impression of an HS-371 derived GOES satellite |
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| Operator | NOAA/NASA |
|---|---|
| Major contractors | Hughes |
| Bus | HS-371 |
| Mission type | Weather |
| Launch date | 28 April 1983 22:26 GMT |
| Carrier rocket | Delta 3914 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-17A |
| Mission duration | 7 years (planned) 6 years (VISSR) 9 years (achieved) |
| COSPAR ID | 1983-041A |
| Mass | 660 kilograms (1,500 lb) |
| Orbital elements | |
| Regime | Operational: Geostationary Current: Graveyard |
| Orbital period | 24 hours |
| Longitude | 135° West (1983-1984) 97° West (1984) 108° West (1984-1987) 135° West (1987-1992) |
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 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 (1,500 lb),[2] with an expected operational lifespan of around seven years.
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] 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]
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