TIROS-9

TIROS-9
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TIROS-9 satellite
Mission type Weather satellite
Operator NASA
COSPAR ID 1965-004A
SATCAT no. 978
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type TIROS
Manufacturer RCA / GSFC
Launch mass 138.30 kilograms (304.9 lb)[1]
Dimensions 1.07 m × 0.56 m (3.5 ft × 1.8 ft)
Start of mission
Launch date January 22, 1965, 07:52 (1965-01-22UTC07:52Z) UTC[2]
Rocket Thor-Delta C 374/D-28
Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-17A
End of mission
Last contact February 15, 1967 (1967-02-16)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Eccentricity 0.11693[1]
Perigee 705 kilometers (438 mi)[1]
Apogee 2,582 kilometers (1,604 mi)[1]
Inclination 96.43°[1]
Period 119.23 minutes[1]
Epoch January 22, 1965[1]
Instruments
Television Camera System

TIROS-9 (also called TIROS-I or A-54) was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the ninth in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.

Launch

TIROS-9 was launched on January 22, 1965, by a Thor-Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The spacecraft functioned nominally until February 15, 1967. The satellite orbited the Earth once every 2 hours, at an inclination of 96°. Its perigee was 705 kilometers (438 mi) and apogee was 2,582 kilometers (1,604 mi).[1]

Mission

TIROS-9 was a spin-stabilized meteorological spacecraft designed to test experimental television techniques and infrared equipment. The satellite was in the form of an 18-sided right prism, 107 cm in diameter and 56 cm high. The top and sides of the spacecraft were covered with approximately 9000 1-by 2-cm silicon solar cells. It was equipped with 2 independent television camera subsystems for taking cloudcover pictures, plus an omnidirectional radiometer and a five-channel scanning radiometer for measuring radiation from the earth and its atmosphere. The satellite spin rate was maintained between 8 and 12 rpm by use of five diametrically opposed pairs of small, solid-fuel thrusters.

The TV system operated normally until April 1, 1965, when one of the wide-angle TV cameras failed. The other camera operated normally until July 26, 1965, and sporadically until February 15, 1967. TIROS 9 was the first satellite in the TIROS series to be placed in a near-polar orbit, thereby increasing TV coverage to the entire daylight portion of the Earth.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "TIROS 9". National Space Science Data Center Master Catalog. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  2. ↑ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  3. ↑ "TIROS 9 (1965-004A)". NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved June 4, 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.


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