 TIROS-3 satellite | |
| Mission type | Weather satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Harvard designation | 1961 Ro 1 |
| COSPAR ID | 1961-017A |
| SATCATno. | 162 |
| Mission duration | 6 months |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | TIROS |
| Manufacturer | RCA Astro / GSFC |
| Launch mass | 129.3 kilograms (285 lb)[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | July 12, 1961, 10:19 (1961-07-12UTC10:19Z) UTC[2] |
| Rocket | Thor DM-19 Delta |
| Launch site | Cape CanaveralLC-17A |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | February 28, 1962 (1962-03-01) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Eccentricity | 0.00489 |
| Perigee altitude | 742 kilometers (461 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 812 kilometers (505 mi) |
| Inclination | 47.9° |
| Period | 100.41 minutes |
| Epoch | July 12, 1961 |
| Instruments | |
| Low Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer Widefield Radiometer Scanning Radiometer Television Camera System | |
TIROS-3 (orTIROS-C) was a spin-stabilizedmeteorological satellite. It was the third in a series ofTelevision Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS-3 was launched on July 12, 1961, by aThor-Delta rocket fromCape Canaveral Air Force Station,Florida. The spacecraft functioned nominally until January 22, 1962. The satellite orbited the Earth once every 98 minutes, at an inclination of 47.9°. Itsperigee was 742 kilometers (401 nmi) andapogee was 812 kilometers (438 nmi).
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-cmsilicon solar cells. TIROS-3 was equipped with two independent television camera subsystems for taking cloud cover pictures, plus a two-channel low-resolution radiometer, an omnidirectional radiometer, and a five-channel infrared scanning radiometer. All three radiometers were used for measuring radiation from the Earth and its atmosphere.[3]
The satellite spin rate was maintained between 8 and 12rpm by use of five diametrically opposed pairs of small, solid-fuel thrusters. The satellite spin axis could be oriented to within 1- to 2-deg 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. The flight control system also optimized the performance of the solar cells andTV cameras and protected the five-channel infrared radiometer from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
The spacecraft performed normally until August 1961, when the scanning radiometer began to fail. Performance was sporadic until January 23, 1962. It was deactivated on February 28, 1962.[3]
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.TIROS satellites | ||
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| TIROS |  | |
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| ITOS | ||
| TIROS-N | ||
| Adv. TIROS-N | ||
