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The Evolution of Weather Satellites


             Development of Weather Satellites.
             The United States first weather satellite was launched on April 1, 1960. It was known as TIROS I, the first of a series of polar orbit satellites launched throughout the 1960's. TIROS is an acronym for Television Infrared Observation Satellite, referring to type cameras carried on board. The satellite was 42 inches in diameter, 19 inches high and weighed 270 pounds. It also carried 9200 solar cells that served to charge the nickel-cadmium batteries. The video systems relayed thousands of images showing cloud cover over the Earth. These photographs provided valuable new information about the structure of large-scale cloud regimes. Although it was only operational for 78 days, TIROS I proved satellites could be a useful tool for surveying global weather conditions.
             Development of Polar Orbiting Satellites.
             The TIROS series launches were continued through July of 1965. There were a total of ten TIROS satellites with significant improvements in each. The orbit path planned for the TIROS was at four hundred miles above the earth.
             TIROS IX was a significant step in weather technology. The satellite spin axis was rotated using a new attitude control system, which kept the alignment of the satellite perpendicular to the orbital plane and tangent to the earth's surface. This "cartwheel" configuration became the standard for the next series of satellites. Although planned for a four hundred-mile orbit, a malfunction of the Delta three-stage rocket caused the satellite to enter an elliptical orbit. TIROS IX produced the first photomosaic of the entire world's cloud cover. This was accomplished by producing a composite of 450 photos taken on February 13 1965. TIROS IX also remained operational for a record 1238 days. It was deactivated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on June 12 1968. The TIROS series of satellites was followed by the six more series.


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