ESSA-3

ESSA-3
Mission type Weather satellite
Operator ESSA/NASA
COSPAR ID 1966-087A
SATCAT no. 2435
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer RCA Astro
Launch mass 145 kilograms (320 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date October 2, 1966, 10:34 (1966-10-02UTC10:34Z) UTC[2]
Rocket Delta C
Launch site Vandenberg LC-2E
End of mission
Disposal Decommissioned
Deactivated December 2, 1968 (1968-12-03)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Eccentricity 0.00703
Perigee 1,383 kilometers (859 mi)
Apogee 1,493 kilometers (928 mi)
Inclination 100.9°
Period 114.6 minutes
Epoch October 2, 1966
TOS

ESSA-3 (or TOS-A) was a spin-stabilized operational meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA).

Launch

ESSA-3 was launched on October 2, 1966 at 10:34 UTC. It was launched atop a Delta rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The spacecraft had a mass of 132 kilograms (291 lb) at the time of launch. ESSA-3 had an inclination of 100.9°, and an orbited the earth once every 114 minutes. Its perigee was 1,383 kilometers (859 mi) and its apogee was 1,493 kilometers (928 mi).

References

  1. "ESSA 3". National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 4, 2018.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration document "ESSA 3". Retrieved on June 4, 2018.

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