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.