Mission type | Weather satellite |
---|---|
Operator | NASA |
Harvard designation | 1962 αψ1 |
COSPAR ID | 1962-047A |
SATCAT no. | 397 |
Mission duration | 1 year and 1 month |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | TIROS |
Manufacturer | RCA Astro / GSFC |
Launch mass | 127.5 kilograms (281 lb) [1] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | September 18, 1962, 08:52 UTC [2] |
Rocket | Thor-Delta |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-17A |
End of mission | |
Last contact | October 21, 1963 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Eccentricity | 0.00191 [1] |
Perigee altitude | 686 kilometers (426 mi) [1] |
Apogee altitude | 712 kilometers (442 mi) [1] |
Inclination | 58.32° [1] |
Period | 98.70 minutes [1] |
Epoch | September 18, 1962 [1] |
Instruments | |
Television Camera System | |
TIROS 6 (also called TIROS-F) was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the sixth in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS 6 was launched on September 18, 1962, by a Thor-Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States. The spacecraft functioned nominally until October 21, 1962. The satellite orbited the Earth once every 1 hour and 38 minutes, at an inclination of 58.3°. Its perigee was 686 kilometers (426 mi) and apogee was 712 kilometers (442 mi). [1]
TIROS 6 was designed to further demonstrate the capability of a spacecraft to observe, record, and transmit TV cloud cover pictures for use in operational weather analysis and forecasting. The spin-stabilized satellite was in the form of an 18-sided right prism, 107 cm across opposite corners and 56 cm high, with a reinforced baseplate carrying most of the subsystems and a cover assembly. Electric energy was supplied to the spacecraft by approximately 9000 1-by 2-cm silicon solar cells mounted on the cover assembly and by 21 nickel-cadmium batteries.
A single monopole antenna for reception of ground commands extended from the top of the cover assembly. A pair of crossed-dipole telemetry antennas (235 MHz) projected down and diagonally out from the baseplate. The satellite spin rate was maintained between 8 and 12 rpm by the use of five diametrically opposed pairs of small solid-fuel thrusters mounted around the edge of the baseplate. Proper attitude was maintained to within a 1° to 2° accuracy by use of a magnetic control device consisting of 250 cores of wire wound around the outer surface of the spacecraft.
The interaction between the induced magnetic field in the spacecraft and the Earth's magnetic field provided the necessary torque for attitude control. TIROS-6 was equipped with two 1.27-cm vidicon TV cameras, one medium angle and one wide angle, for taking Earth cloudcover pictures. The pictures were transmitted directly to either of two ground receiving stations or were stored in a tape recorder on board for subsequent playback, depending on whether the satellite was within or beyond the communication range of the station.
TIROS-6 performed normally from launch until November 29, 1962, when the medium-angle camera vidicon failed. The wide-angle camera vidicon system failed on October 21, 1963, and the spacecraft was deactivated shortly thereafter. [3]
TIROS-1 was the first full-scale weather satellite, the first of a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites (TIROS) placed in low Earth orbit.
Television InfraRed Observation Satellite (TIROS) is a series of early weather satellites launched by the United States, beginning with TIROS-1 in 1960. TIROS was the first satellite that was capable of remote sensing of the Earth, enabling scientists to view the Earth from a new perspective: space. The program, promoted by Harry Wexler, proved the usefulness of satellite weather observation, at a time when military reconnaissance satellites were secretly in development or use. TIROS demonstrated at that time that "the key to genius is often simplicity". TIROS is an acronym of "Television InfraRed Observation Satellite" and is also the plural of "tiro" which means "a young soldier, a beginner".
TIROS-2 was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the second in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites. It re-entered in May 2014.
ESSA-1 was a spin-stabilized operational meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA).
ESSA-9, also known as TOS-G, was a meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA). ESSA-9 replaced the ESSA-7 satellite.
Kosmos 122, launched on 25 June 1966, Meteor No.5L, and was one of eleven weather satellites put into orbit between 1964 and 1969.
TIROS-3 was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the third in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS-4 was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the fourth in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS 5 was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the fifth in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS-7 was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the seventh in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS-8 was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the eighth in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS-9 was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the ninth in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS-10 was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the tenth and last in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
ESSA 3 was a spin-stabilized operational meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA).
ESSA 6 was a spin-stabilized operational meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA).
Nimbus 1 was a meteorological satellite. It was the first in a series of the Nimbus program.
Nimbus 2 was a meteorological satellite. It was the second in a series of the Nimbus program.
NOAA-1, also known as ITOS-A was a weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was part of a series of satellites called ITOS, or improved TIROS.
ITOS-B was a weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was part of a series of satellites called ITOS, or improved TIROS.
NOAA-5, also known as ITOS-H was a weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was part of a series of satellites called ITOS, or improved TIROS, being the last of the series. NOAA-5 was launched on a Delta rocket on July 29, 1976.