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March 15, 1978
Seasat-A : |
EXPECTED LAUNCH DATE: May 1978
Expected lifetime: One year,
ORBIT: Nearly circular, non sun-synchronous
Altitude: 790.17 km + 50 m Period: 100.75 minutes
Inclination: 108° nominal, 104°-108° range Orbits per day: 14.3
Coverage: 72° north to 72° south Orbit repeat (exact): 152 days
SENSORS: (must be aligned to within 0.07° and pointing angle known to within 0.035?
with unobstructed view of Earth) .
Frequency/ Swath width/ |
Active yavelength Resolution FOV Measurement
Synthetic aperture 1274.8 gHz : 25 m 100 km swath images and spectra
radar (SAR) (L-Band, at 4 looks (on one side of waves
(data limited to
25 cm)
of spacecraft)
coastal, land, and
\
WM
60 nin/day; direct Polarization HH ice imagery i »
readout only)
Radar altimeter 13.499 gHz H 1/321-20 m 1.6 km H 1/3=significant
(improved from (at nadir, on wave altitude
Skylab and Geos-3) calm sea) (to + 1 m)
: marine geoid
(to + 10 cm)
. de tides, currents
Radar scatterometer 14.599 gHz high gain 50 km one 500-km
(improved from Polarization low gain 200 km one 750-km speed and direction
Skylab) : HH, VV : (overlapping) (to + 20°) of winds
3 one 280 km under 20 m/sec
Passive ' (at nadir)
Visible/infrared 0.47-0.94 um . 2 km 679 km (arc clouds, sea surface
radiometer 10.5-12.5 um 4 km width) on one temperature within
(from ITOS) side of nadir + 2°C (day and night)
Scanning multi- 5.6, 10.7, 21-121 km, 2127 km for speed (7 m to 50 m/
frequency micro- 18, 21, major axis + 50. inci- sec) and direction
wave radiometer 37 ghz 145-79 km, dence angle of winds over 20 m/
( SMMR)* minor axis : sec; atmospheric
vapor and liquid
content; raindrop
size and distribution
sea surface temper
ature 6 4
DESCRIPTION: Spacecraft bus (Agena) attached to sensor module and support structure
Launch vehicle: Atlas-F
*Identical instrument
on Nimbus G to cover
polar regions
Two tape recorders can store data (except SAR) from 2 orbits
record at 25 kilobits/sec; downlink at 640 kilobits/sec (non SAR)
GROUND STATIONS: U.S.: Fairbanks, Alaska; Goldstone, California; Merrit Island, Florida;
Canada/CCRS: Shoe Cove, Newfoundland. ESA stations in Oakhanger, England,
and Canary Islands may process SAR data (real time only).
PURPOSE: All-weather monitoring of ccean surface (all sensors)
Radar imaging of land surface
Commercial uses: Indicate fishing areas, route ships, time offshore drilling
DISTRIBUTION OF DATA: All but SAR: From Fairbanks to Navy's Fleet Numerical Weather
Center, Monterey, Calif., via commercial communications spacecraft (in real time)
to NOAA/NESS for pubiic distribution. :
SAR: From all stations vía mail to JPL/SDPS to NOAA/NESS (processed image data only)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: NOAA Program Development Plan for Seasat-A Research and
Applications, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA/NESS, March 1977 (CPO 1977-240-848/13)
Operational Oceanographic Satellites: Potentials for Oceanography, Climatology,
Coastal Processes, and Ice, by Robert G. Nagler and S. W. McCandless, Jr., 1975,
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Calif. Inst. Tech., Contract NAS 7-100, NASA Office
of Applications, 12 p.
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