Synchronous Meteorological Satellite
{{Short description|Weather satellite program of the United States}}
{{Redirect|SMS-2|other uses|SMS2 (disambiguation){{!}}SMS2}}
{{Redirect|SMS-1|other uses|SMS1 (disambiguation){{!}}SMS1}}
The Synchronous Meteorological Satellite (SMS) program, was a program where NASA developed two weather satellites; which were placed into geosynchronous orbit.
History
SMS-1 was launched May 17, 1974 and SMS-2 was launched February 6, 1975.{{cite web |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1974-033A |title=SMS 1 - NSSDC ID: 1974-033A |publisher=NASA NSSDC}}{{cite web |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-011A |title=SMS 2 - NSSDC ID: 1975-011A |publisher=NASA NSSDC}} Both satellites were carried to orbit by Delta 2914 rockets.{{cite web |url=http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt |title=Launch Log |author=Jonathan McDowell|author-link=Jonathan McDowell}} The program was initiated after the successes achieved by the Applications Technology Satellite (ATS) research satellites, which demonstrated the feasibility of using satellites in geosynchronous orbit for meteorology. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program, which now supports weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorology research in the United States, followed immediately after the SMS program; the GOES 1 satellite was initially designated SMS-C.{{cite web |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-100A |title=GOES 1 - NSSDC ID: 1975-100A |publisher=NASA NSSDC}} SMS-1 and SMS-2; and GOES-1, GOES-2, and GOES-3; were essentially identical.{{cite web |url=http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sms/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916124905/http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/sms |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-09-16 |title=SMS |publisher=NASA SMD}}
List of SMS satellites
{|class = "wikitable" width="100%"
!colspan=2| Designation !!rowspan=2| Launch Date/Time (UTC) !!rowspan=2| Rocket !!rowspan=2| Launch Site !!rowspan=2| Longitude !!rowspan=2| First Image !!rowspan=2| Status !!rowspan=2| Retirement !!rowspan=2| Remarks
|-
! Launch !! Operational
|-
|colspan=10|
=SMS series satellites=
|-
| {{nowrap|SMS-A}} || {{nowrap|SMS-1}} || May 17, 1974 || Delta 2914 || || || || || ||
|-
| {{nowrap|SMS-B}} || {{nowrap|SMS-2}} || February 6, 1975 || Delta 2914 || || || || || ||
|-
|colspan=10|
=SMS-derived satellites=
|-
| {{nowrap|SMS-C}}
{{nowrap|GOES-A}} || {{nowrap|GOES 1}} || October 16, 1975, 22:40 || Delta 2914 || CCAFS LC-17A || || October 25, 1975 || Retired || March 7, 1985{{cite web|url=http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131616/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-10-04|title=GOES-1|work=ESE 40th Anniversary|publisher=NASA|date=1999-05-12|accessdate=2009-06-23}} ||
|-
| {{nowrap|SMS-D}}
{{nowrap|GOES-B}} || {{nowrap|GOES 2}} || June 16, 1977, 10:51 || Delta 2914 || CCAFS LC-17B || 60°W || || Retired || 1993{{cite web|url=http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131503/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes2.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-10-04|title=GOES-2|work=ESE 40th Anniversary|publisher=NASA|date=1999-04-22|accessdate=2009-06-23}} || Reactivated as comsat in 1995, finally deactivated in May 2001
|-
| {{nowrap|SMS-E}}
{{nowrap|GOES-C}} || {{nowrap|GOES 3}} || June 16, 1978, 10:49 || Delta 2914 || CCAFS LC-17B || || || Retired || 1993{{cite web|url=http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004131515/http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/history/goes/goes3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-10-04|title=GOES-3|work=ESE 40th Anniversary|publisher=NASA|date=1999-04-22|accessdate=2009-06-23}} || Reactivated as comsat in 1995, was decommissioned 29 June 2016
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