 ESSA 2 | |
| Mission type | Weather satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESSA/NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1966-016A |
| SATCATno. | 2091 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | RCA Astro |
| Launch mass | 286 kilograms (631 lb)[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | February 3, 1966, 13:55 (1966-02-03UTC13:55Z) UTC[2] |
| Rocket | Delta E |
| Launch site | Cape CanaveralLC-17B |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Deactivated | October 16, 1970 (1970-10-17) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 7,115.60 kilometers (4,421.43 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00399 |
| Perigee altitude | 1,355 kilometers (842 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,415 kilometers (879 mi) |
| Inclination | 101.3° |
| Period | 113.5 minutes |
| Epoch | February 28, 1966 |
ESSA-2 (orOT-2) was a spin-stabilized operational meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, theEnvironmental Science Services Administration (ESSA).
ESSA-2 was launched on February 28, 1966, at 13:55UTC. It was launched atop aDelta rocket fromCape Canaveral,Florida. The spacecraft had a mass of 132 kilograms (291 lb) at the time of launch. ESSA-2 had an inclination of 101.3°, and an orbited the Earth once every 113 minutes. Itsperigee was 1,355 kilometers (842 mi) and itsapogee was 1,455 kilometers (904 mi).
ESSA-2 was a Sun-synchronouspolar-orbitingweather satellite whose mission was to provide real-time pictures ofcloud cover using theautomatic picture transmission system. These cloud cover pictures were used bymeteorologists for use inweather forecasting andanalysis. The satellite provided useful cloud pictures for more than four years before the camera systems were placed in standby mode on March 20, 1970. ESSA-2 was fully deactivated on October 16, 1970.[1]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromESSA 2.National Aeronautics and Space Administration. RetrievedJune 4, 2018.
TIROS satellites | ||
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| TIROS |  | |
| TOS | ||
| ITOS | ||
| TIROS-N | ||
| Adv. TIROS-N | ||
