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Synchronous Meteorological Satellite
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>SMS-1 was launched May 17, 1974 and SMS-2 was launched February 6, 1975.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Both satellites were carried to orbit by <a href="/facts/Delta_2000/Xa7fTvwH">Delta 2914</a> rockets.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> The program was initiated after the successes achieved by the <a href="/facts/Applications_Technology_Satellite/1Iq8ElHo">Applications Technology Satellite</a> (ATS) research satellites, which demonstrated the feasibility of using satellites in geosynchronous orbit for <a href="/facts/Meteorology/xblFr28q">meteorology</a>. The <a href="/facts/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite/dJ7MlVRP">Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite</a> (GOES) program, which now supports weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorology research in the United States, followed immediately after the SMS program; the <a href="/facts/GOES_1/09M1n0uE">GOES 1</a> satellite was initially designated SMS-C.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> SMS-1 and SMS-2; and <a href="/facts/GOES-1/09M1n0uE">GOES-1</a>, <a href="/facts/GOES-2/DERAdWsK">GOES-2</a>, and <a href="/facts/GOES-3/0jDhgauY">GOES-3</a>; were essentially identical.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="list-of-sms-satellites">List of SMS satellites</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="2">Designation</th><th rowspan="2">Launch Date/Time (UTC)</th><th rowspan="2">Rocket</th><th rowspan="2">Launch Site</th><th rowspan="2">Longitude</th><th rowspan="2">First Image</th><th rowspan="2">Status</th><th rowspan="2">Retirement</th><th rowspan="2">Remarks</th></tr><tr><th>Launch</th><th>Operational</th></tr><tr><td colspan="10"><h3>SMS series satellites</h3></td></tr><tr><td>SMS-A</td><td><a href="/facts/SMS-1/wTMxLC1B">SMS-1</a></td><td>May 17, 1974</td><td><a href="/facts/Delta_2000/Xa7fTvwH">Delta 2914</a></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>SMS-B</td><td><a href="/facts/SMS-2/wTMxLC1B">SMS-2</a></td><td>February 6, 1975</td><td><a href="/facts/Delta_2000/Xa7fTvwH">Delta 2914</a></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="10"><h3>SMS-derived satellites</h3></td></tr><tr><td>SMS-CGOES-A</td><td><a href="/facts/GOES_1/09M1n0uE">GOES 1</a></td><td>October 16, 1975, 22:40</td><td><a href="/facts/Delta_2000/Xa7fTvwH">Delta 2914</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">CCAFS</a> <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_17/7Cl4P58d">LC-17A</a></td><td></td><td>October 25, 1975</td><td>Retired</td><td>March 7, 1985<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>SMS-DGOES-B</td><td><a href="/facts/GOES_2/DERAdWsK">GOES 2</a></td><td>June 16, 1977, 10:51</td><td><a href="/facts/Delta_2000/Xa7fTvwH">Delta 2914</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">CCAFS</a> <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_17/7Cl4P58d">LC-17B</a></td><td>60°W</td><td></td><td>Retired</td><td>1993<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></td><td>Reactivated as comsat in 1995,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> finally deactivated in May 2001</td></tr><tr><td>SMS-EGOES-C</td><td><a href="/facts/GOES_3/0jDhgauY">GOES 3</a></td><td>June 16, 1978, 10:49</td><td><a href="/facts/Delta_2000/Xa7fTvwH">Delta 2914</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">CCAFS</a> <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_17/7Cl4P58d">LC-17B</a></td><td></td><td></td><td>Retired</td><td>1993<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></td><td>Reactivated as comsat in 1995,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> was decommissioned 29 June 2016</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"SMS 1 - NSSDC ID: 1974-033A". NASA NSSDC. <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1974-033A" target="_blank">https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1974-033A</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"SMS 2 - NSSDC ID: 1975-011A". NASA NSSDC. <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-011A" target="_blank">https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-011A</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Jonathan McDowell. "Launch Log". <a href="/wiki/Jonathan_McDowell" target="_blank">/wiki/Jonathan_McDowell</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"GOES 1 - NSSDC ID: 1975-100A". NASA NSSDC. <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-100A" target="_blank">https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-100A</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"SMS". NASA SMD. Archived from the original on 2008-09-16. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080916124905/http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sms" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20080916124905/http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sms</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"GOES-1". ESE 40th Anniversary. NASA. 1999-05-12. Archived from the original on 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2009-06-23. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131616/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes1.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131616/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes1.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"GOES-2". ESE 40th Anniversary. NASA. 1999-04-22. Archived from the original on 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2009-06-23. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131503/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes2.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131503/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes2.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"GOES-2". ESE 40th Anniversary. NASA. 1999-04-22. Archived from the original on 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2009-06-23. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131503/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes2.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131503/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes2.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"GOES-3". ESE 40th Anniversary. NASA. 1999-04-22. Archived from the original on 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2009-06-23. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131515/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes3.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131515/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes3.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"GOES-3". ESE 40th Anniversary. NASA. 1999-04-22. Archived from the original on 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2009-06-23. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131515/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes3.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131515/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes3.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>