$423 million GOES contract awarded to Hughes

Hughes is to build two Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The craft will be launched aboard Boeing Delta III boosters in 2001 and 2003 under a $423 million contract agreed with NASA. Options on two further satellites are also included in the deal, at a price of $375 million.

The satellites, the GOES N and O, will be based on the Hughes HS-601 spacecraft model. Hughes will also integrate three US Government supplied instruments: an imager and sounder, built by ITT, and a solar X-ray imager, provided by Lockheed Martin. The company also built the GOES D-H series, launched in 1980-7 before Space Systems/ Loral took over the contract for subsequent satellites. Including the Brasilsat B3, launched on an Ariane 105 on 4 February, 16 Hughes satellites are scheduled to be launched in 1998.

nThe Hughes Anik C2 satellite launched on the Space Shuttle STS7/Challenger in June 1983 from Telesat of Canada, has been retired after achieving a design life 1.8 times longer than planned.

Source: Flight International