GOES 7
NOAA weather satellite
title: "GOES 7" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1987-in-spaceflight", "spacecraft-launched-in-1987", "geostationary-operational-environmental-satellites"] description: "NOAA weather satellite" topic_path: "general/1987-in-spaceflight" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOES_7" 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-7 |
| image | GOES 4-5-6-7 illustration.jpg |
| image_caption | Artist's impression of a GOES-D series satellite |
| mission_type | Weather satellite |
| operator | NOAANASA (1987-1999) |
| Peacesat (1999-2012) | |
| COSPAR_ID | 1987-022A |
| SATCAT | 17561 |
| mission_duration | 3-7 years (planned) |
| 25 years (achieved) | |
| spacecraft_bus | HS-371 |
| manufacturer | Hughes |
| launch_date | UTC |
| launch_rocket | Delta 3914 |
| launch_site | Cape Canaveral LC-17A |
| launch_contractor | McDonnell Douglas |
| disposal_type | Decommissioned |
| deactivated | |
| orbit_reference | Geocentric |
| orbit_regime | Geostationary |
| orbit_periapsis | 35879 km |
| orbit_apoapsis | 35898 km |
| orbit_eccentricity | 0.0002306 |
| orbit_inclination | 15.09° |
| orbit_period | 24 hours |
| orbit_longitude | 75° West (1987-1989) |
| 98° West (1989-1992) | |
| 112° West (1992-1995) | |
| 135° West (1995-1999) | |
| 95° West (1999) | |
| 175° West (1999-2012) | |
| orbit_slot | GOES-EAST (1987-1989) |
| GOES-WEST (1995-1999) | |
| apsis | gee |
| :: |
| name = GOES-7 | image = GOES 4-5-6-7 illustration.jpg | image_caption = Artist's impression of a GOES-D series satellite
| mission_type = Weather satellite | operator = NOAANASA (1987-1999) Peacesat (1999-2012) | website = | COSPAR_ID = 1987-022A | SATCAT = 17561 | mission_duration = 3-7 years (planned) 25 years (achieved)
| spacecraft_type = | spacecraft_bus = HS-371 | manufacturer = Hughes | dry_mass = | launch_mass = | power =
| launch_date = UTC | launch_rocket = Delta 3914 | launch_site = Cape Canaveral LC-17A | launch_contractor = McDonnell Douglas | entered_service =
| disposal_type = Decommissioned | deactivated =
| orbit_epoch = | orbit_reference = Geocentric | orbit_regime = Geostationary | orbit_periapsis = 35879 km | orbit_apoapsis = 35898 km | orbit_eccentricity = 0.0002306 | orbit_inclination = 15.09° | orbit_period = 24 hours | orbit_longitude = 75° West (1987-1989) 98° West (1989-1992) 112° West (1992-1995) 135° West (1995-1999) 95° West (1999) 175° West (1999-2012) | orbit_slot = GOES-EAST (1987-1989) GOES-WEST (1995-1999) | apsis = gee 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, GOES-H was launched in 1987 due to delays with the next series of satellites. It was operated by NOAA until 1999, before being leased to Peacesat, who use it as a communications satellite. As of 2009, it was operational over the Pacific Ocean, providing communications for the Pacific Islands. On April 12, 2012, the spacecraft was finally decommissioned and moved to a graveyard orbit.
Launch
GOES-H was launched aboard a McDonnell Douglas Delta 3914 rocket, flying from Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch occurred at 23:05 GMT on 26 February 1987. The launch had originally been scheduled for late 1986, but was delayed after GOES-G failed to achieve orbit. It was built by Hughes Space and Communications, based on the HS-371 satellite bus, and was the last of five GOES-D series satellites to be launched.
Operations
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Img-1989-09-19-18-GOE-7-IR.jpg" caption="GOES-7 image; [[Hurricane Hugo]] can be seen in the Atlantic on the top right"] ::
Following launch, GOES-7 was positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 75° West, where it underwent on-orbit testing before being activated in the GOES-EAST slot of the constellation.
Due to the loss of GOES-G, and delays in the development of the GOES-I series spacecraft, no reserve satellites were available in the late 1980s and early 1990s. After the imager on the GOES-6 satellite failed in 1989, GOES-7 was left as the only operational GOES satellite. It was moved to 98° West to cover the whole of the continental United States. In 1992, Meteosat 3 was leased from Eumetsat to take over GOES-EAST operations, allowing GOES-8 to be moved 112° West. When GOES-8 entered service in 1995, it replaced Meteosat 3, and GOES-7 was moved to the GOES-WEST position at 135° West. It remained in service until its retirement from service in 1996, at which time it was moved to 95° West. It was then transferred to Peacesat, and positioned at 175° West until its final retirement and disposal in 2012.
It is the only satellite to have been operated as both GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST in the course of normal operations. GOES-10 has been used as both GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST, however its operations as GOES-EAST were as a backup during an outage of GOES-12, and the satellite was not moved to the GOES-EAST orbital position.
References
References
- (1985-01-12). "International Satellite Directory - Hughes Aircraft - GOES". Flight International.
- "GOES-7 Satellite". Peacesat.
- (2012-04-12). "NOAA retires GOES-7 after 25 years as a weather and communications satellite". NOAA.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page.
- (1986-05-17). "Atlas grounding follows Delta failure". Flight International.
- Krebs, Gunter. "GOES 4, 5, 6, G, 7". Gunter's Space Page.
- Wade, Mark. "GOES". Encyclopedia Astronautica.
- Sample, Sharron. "GOES-7". Encyclopedia Astronautica.
- (1991-07-16). "GOES 'Fiasco' causes US crisis". Flight International.
- (1999-04-22). "GOES-7". NASA.
- (1999-06-15). "GOES-7 TRANSITIONED TO HAWAII FOR USE BY PEACESAT STATION, NOAA ANNOUNCES". NOAA.
- "GOES-07". TSE.
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