GOES 2
NOAA weather satellite
title: "GOES 2" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1977-in-spaceflight", "spacecraft-launched-in-1977", "geostationary-operational-environmental-satellites"] description: "NOAA weather satellite" topic_path: "general/1977-in-spaceflight" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOES_2" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary NOAA weather satellite ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox spaceflight"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | GOES-2 |
| image | Early GOES Spac0174.jpg |
| image_caption | Artist's impression of an SMS-series GOES satellite in orbit |
| mission_type | Weather satellite |
| operator | NOAA / NASA |
| COSPAR_ID | 1977-048A |
| SATCAT | 10061 |
| mission_duration | 24 years |
| spacecraft_type | SMS |
| manufacturer | Ford Aerospace |
| launch_mass | 295 kg |
| launch_date | UTC |
| launch_rocket | Delta 2914 |
| launch_site | Cape Canaveral LC-17B |
| launch_contractor | McDonnell Douglas |
| disposal_type | Decommissioned |
| deactivated | UTC |
| orbit_epoch | 17 May 2016, 10:12:31 UTC |
| orbit_reference | Geocentric |
| orbit_regime | Geostationary |
| orbit_periapsis | 35972 km |
| orbit_apoapsis | 36094 km |
| orbit_inclination | 13.7696º |
| orbit_period | 24 hours |
| orbit_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) | |
| apsis | gee |
| :: |
| name = GOES-2 | image = Early GOES Spac0174.jpg | image_caption = Artist's impression of an SMS-series GOES satellite in orbit
| mission_type = Weather satellite | operator = NOAA / NASA | website = | COSPAR_ID = 1977-048A | SATCAT = 10061 | mission_duration = 24 years
| spacecraft_type = SMS | spacecraft_bus = | manufacturer = Ford Aerospace | dry_mass = | launch_mass = 295 kg | power =
| launch_date = UTC | launch_rocket = Delta 2914 | launch_site = Cape Canaveral LC-17B | launch_contractor = McDonnell Douglas | entered_service =
| disposal_type = Decommissioned | deactivated = UTC
| orbit_epoch = 17 May 2016, 10:12:31 UTC | orbit_reference = Geocentric | orbit_regime = Geostationary | orbit_periapsis = 35972 km | orbit_apoapsis = 36094 km | orbit_inclination = 13.7696º | orbit_period = 24 hours | orbit_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) | orbit_slot = | apsis = gee GOES-2, known as GOES-B 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. GOES-2 was built by Ford Aerospace, and was based on the satellite bus developed for the Synchronous Meteorological Satellite programme. At launch it had a mass of 295 kg. It was positioned in geostationary orbit, from where it was used for weather 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.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/GOES-B_Spac0251.jpg" caption="Launch of GOES-B on a Delta 2914"] ::
GOES-B was launched using a Delta 2914 carrier rocket flying from Launch Complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch occurred at 10:51:00 GMT on 16 June 1977. The launch successfully placed GOES-B into a geostationary transfer orbit, from which it raised itself to geostationary orbit by means of an onboard SVM-5 apogee motor. Its insertion into geosynchronous orbit occurred at 03:26 GMT on 17 June.
Following on-orbit testing, GOES-B was redesignated GOES-2, and replaced SMS-1 at a longitude 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 a communications satellite in 1995, and moved to 177° West. It was used by Peacesat to provide communications services to islands in the Pacific Ocean, a role in which it was replaced by GOES 7 in 1999, and by the US National Science Foundation for communications with the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. On 5 May 2001, it was retired to a graveyard 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.
References
References
- [http://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=10061 GOES-2 - Orbit]. Heavens Above. Retrieved 2016-17-05.
- "GOES-2". NASA.
- Krebs, Gunter. "SMS 1, 2 / GOES 1, 2, 3". Gunter's Space Page.
- Wade, Mark. "GOES". Encyclopedia Astronautica.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Index". Jonathan's Space Page.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::