| Name of Satellite, Alternate Names | GOES 3 (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-C) |
| Country of Operator/Owner | USA |
| Operator/Owner | University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) (loaned by NOAA) |
| Users | Civil |
| Purpose | Communications |
| Class of Orbit | GEO |
| Type of Orbit | |
| Longitude of GEO (degrees) | -101.44 |
| Perigee (km) | 35772 |
| Apogee (km) | 35800 |
| Eccentricity | 0.000332099819717241 |
| Inclination (degrees) | 14.3 |
| Period (minutes) | 1436.08 |
| Launch Mass (kg.) | 627 |
| Dry Mass (kg.) | |
| Power (watts) | |
| Date of Launch | 16-06-1978 |
| Expected Lifetime | 7 yrs. |
| Contractor | Hughes Aircraft |
| Country of Contractor | USA |
| Launch Site | Cape Canaveral |
| Launch Vehicle | Delta 2914 |
| COSPAR Number | 1978-062A |
| NORAD Number | 10953 |
| Comments | Still supplying communications at South Pole; equipment scheduled to be removed in 2006. |