EAS TIS 
NI A AE PIE 
FE EN REA MR ILI o D 7 A Ne MOL PN SATE TEP OP Sb ro, AE, ts DI Shor cct 
A NA AEA BE Le 
March 15, 1978 
TIROS (Television and Infrared Observation Satellite) 
ESSA (Environmental Survey Satellite) 
OLA ERA ON PUS CEE 
  
Launch date Coverage Operation ended Significance 
TIROS-1 April 1960 June 1960 First cloud cover imagery 
from space 
TIROS-2 November 1960 55° N-S February 1961 
TIROS-3 July 1961 : October 1961 
TIROS-4 February 1962 June 1962 | 
TIROS-5 ^ June 1962 May 1963 (à 
TIROS-6 September 1962 65? N-S. October 1963 
TIROS-7 June 1963 February 1966 
TIROS-8 December 1963 January 1966 Direct readout of cloud 
pictures to local ground 
stations 
TIROS-9 January 1965 near-polar February 1967 Prototype of ESSA 
TIROS-10 July 1965 (96.4-98.6? June 1966 Global daytime cloud cover 
inclination) photography 
TOS (TIROS Operational Satellite) System 
Two ESSA satellites in orbit simultaneously 
ESSA-1 February 3, 1966 May 1967 World's first operational 
ESSA-2 February 28, 1966 October 1970 satellite system 
ESSA-3 October 1966 October 1968 First AVCS 
ESSA-4 January 1967 near polar December 1967 
ESSA-5 April 1967 (98-102? February 1970 
ESSA-6 November 1967 inclination) November 1969 
ESSA-7 August 1968 July 1969 
ESSA-8 December 1968 March 1976 Was replaced by NOAA-5 
ESSA-9 February 1969 November 1973 
SENSORS: 
TIROS 1-10 and ESSA 1 and 2 : : T 
Resolution Lens angle FOV (0 
Vidicon cameras 1-3.2 km 13-108? 120-1208 km 
Low and medium 
resolution 
infrared 
radiometers 
ESSA 3-9 
Advanced vidicon 3.8-7.4 km 3330 kn 
camera system (AVCS) 
Low resolution 
infrared radiometers 
PURPOSE: Development of operational meteorological satellite system 
Vertical temperature and moisture soundings of the atmosphere 
GROUND STATIONS: Wallops, Va., and Cilmore Creek, Alaska 
Odd-numbered ESSA's transmitted from tape recorder 
Even-numbered ESSA's transmitted directly from Automatic Picture Transmission 
(APT) system.