History
- 10/1974: LASP (Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics) proposes SME
- 05/1975: SME assigned to GSFC for System Definition
- 06/1976: SME assigned to JPL
- 07/1976–06/1978: JPL SME system definition, scheduling, and costing activities
- 12/1978: Project plan approval
- 12/1980–07/1981: System testing with LASP MOS software
- 02/1981: LASP OM Acceptance Review and shipping
- 02/1981: BALL S/C Bus Acceptance Review and shipping
- 04/1981: OM-S/C Bus Integration Acceptance Review
- 06/1981–09/1981: Depletion Burn: First HQ Request and SME Response
- 07/1981: Flight readiness review
- 10/6/1981: SME launch on a Delta rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California
- 12/1988: All science instruments are turned off due to power constraints
- 04/1989: SME stops transmitting data due to battery failure
- 03/05/1991: SME re-enters the atmosphere and burns up