A parabolic antenna at Wallops Island.

John Hussey, TIROS-N Ground System Project Manager, standing below 36-ft (11-meter) antenna. This was the primary communications terminal for all incoming TIROS-N data at the Suitland processing facility.

A 60-foot parabolic antenna used for radio propagation experiments in the troposphere. The Table Mountain facility is 6 miles north of Boulder.

Parabolic antennas at Wallops Island.

Artist's conception of a self-contained portable meteorological satellite data receiving station for use by United States military units.

A manual tracking 13 db heliz antenna designed to receive TIROS picture information from the Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) system.

A specialized satellite data receiving antenna.

Specialized antenna array used to monitor the ATS-1 satellite. The ATS-1 was a forerunner of the GOES satellites. This antenna monitored solar proton warnings issued from sensors aboard the satellite which warned of potentially disruptive magnetic storm activity.

Dedication ceremony of the 85-foot (26-meter) parabolic antenna at the Wallops Island CDA.

Monitoring satellite operations at Wallops Island.

James Norton of the Wallops Island staff checks satellite data handling equipment.

Wallops Island personnel including, left to right: Lloyd Chamberlain, Elwood Harte, Richard Kelly, Norbert Novocin, and Joseph Paranzino.

An engineer checking some of the electronics associated with satellite data reception and processing.

Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC) Controller James Budd at TIROS-N Controller's console, from which two operational TIROS-N type spacecraft are controlled.

Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC) shift supervisor Jim Nichols at the TIROS-N Spacecraft Engineer's Console.

Scientist Frank Porto at the tape drives of the then new National Environmental Satellite Service (NESS) mass data storage system, the SDC TBMII. This system was used to archive all of the TIROS-N and NOAA-6 digital data on standard two- inch video tape.

Scientist Frank Porto at the tape drives of the then new National Environmental Satellite Service (NESS) mass data storage system, the SDC TBMII. This system was used to archive all of the TIROS-N and NOAA-6 digital data on standard two- inch video tape.

Electronic equipment at the Wallops Island CDA.

An Automatic Picture Transmission recorder which received data from TIROS satellites and printed out as images of cloud cover. The system could also receive standard weather maps.

Bumper No. 8, a captured German V-2 rocket, lifts off from Cape Canaveral. This rocket exploded in flight, but was the first to lift off from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral.

NOAA 1 (ITOS -A) lifts off on Launch Vehicle Delta 81.

NOAA 2 lifts off.

ESSA 4 lifts off. Pre-launch designated TOS B. Launch Vehicle was Delta 45.

ESSA 6 lifts off. Launch Vehicle was Delta 54.

ESSA 6 lifts off. Launch Vehicle was Delta 54.

ESSA 9 lifts off on Delta Launch Vehicle 67. Pre-launch designated TOS G.

NOAA 5 lifts off. This satellite weighed 749 pounds , entered a near circular polar orbit 939.89 by 934.98 statute miles above the Earth, orbited every 116.32 minutes, and was inclined to the equator at 102.105 degrees. In addition to visible and infra-red imaging systems, it also carried early search and rescue beacon equipment.

GOES-1, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-1, lifts off aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 116.

The nine solid rocket motors used to augment the thrust of Delta 116 are being jettisoned 87 seconds after the launch at approximately 18 miles altitude.

GOES-C awaits launch aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 142. After launch this satellite was designated GOES 3. It was placed in geostationary orbit at 135 degrees west longitude.

TIROS-N lifts off carried aloft by an Atlas launch vehicle.

GOES-D sits atop Delta 152 Launch Vehicle moments before ignition and liftoff. GOES-D became GOES 4 when placed in orbit. This satellite was placed in geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the nation of Colombia in South America.

GOES-E sits atop Delta 154 at Launch Complex 17. GOES-E was designated GOES 5 after placing into orbit.

GOES-F launching into orbit. GOES-F was designated GOES-6 after attaining orbit.

GOES-F launching into orbit. GOES-F was designated GOES-6 after attaining orbit.

NOAA-11 being launched, a TIROS-N spacecraft.

GOES G ends in a fiery explosion as the Cape Canaveral Range Safety Officer destroys Delta Launch Vehicle 178 after 91 seconds.

GOES G going for a short ride aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 178. 71 seconds into the mission the first stage engine shut down necessitating destruction 20 seconds later.

GOES-E lifting off. Upon attaining orbit and becoming operational was designated GOES 5.

GOES-E ready for launch atop Delta Launch Vehicle 154.

The launch of GOES-D aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 152. Upon attaining orbit and becoming operational was designated GOES 4.

Launch of ITOS-H. This became NOAA 5 after becoming operational.

Launch of ITOS-H. This became NOAA 5 after becoming operational.

The launch of GOES-B aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 131. GOES-B became GOES-2 after it became operational.

The launch of GOES-B aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 131. GOES-B became GOES-2 after it became operational.

The launch of GOES-F aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 168.

The launch of GOES-F aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 168. GOES-F became GOES-6 when it became operational.

The launch of GOES-B aboard Delta Launch Vehicle 131. GOES-B became GOES-2 after it became operational.

Graphic of GOES-I, the first of the GOES-NEXT spacecraft became GOES 8 after a successful launch on April 13, 1994.

Graphic of GOES-I-M, the present generation of GOES-NEXT satellites.