On this day in space! Oct. 16, 1975: NASA launches the 1st-ever GOES weather satellite to watch Earth from space
On October 16, 1975, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched the first operational Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, known as GOES-A.
On October 16, 1975, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched the first operational Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, known as GOES-A. Lifted by a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the spacecraft entered a geostationary orbit to continuously monitor the same section of the Earth. Once operational, the spacecraft was renamed GOES-1.
NOAA officials stated that the satellite gave forecasters their first near-real-time look at atmospheric conditions from a fixed location. It carried a Visible/Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer to track clouds and surface temperatures during both day and night. Although the spin-stabilized satellite observed Earth only ten percent of the time, it provided cutting-edge data for meteorologists.
GOES-1 remained active until its decommissioning on March 7, 1985, following the launches of several successor missions. NOAA noted that GOES data has served as the backbone for severe weather warnings across the Western Hemisphere for decades. The fleet has since evolved through multiple generations, including the 2016 launch of GOES-R and the 2024 launch of GOES-U.
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Original publication: 16 October 2026 22:49
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