 TIROS-9 satellite | |
| Mission type | Weather satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-004A |
| SATCATno. | 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 CanaveralLC-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 altitude | 705 kilometers (438 mi)[1] |
| Apogee altitude | 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 calledTIROS-I orA-54) was a spin-stabilizedmeteorological satellite. It was the ninth in a series ofTelevision Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS-9 was launched on January 22, 1965, by aThor-Delta rocket fromCape Canaveral Air Force Station,Florida. The spacecraft functioned nominally until February 15, 1967. The satellite orbited theEarth once every 2 hours, at an inclination of 96°. Itsperigee was 705 kilometers (438 mi) andapogee was 2,582 kilometers (1,604 mi).[1]
TIROS-9 was a spin-stabilizedmeteorological 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 siliconsolar cells. It was equipped with 2 independent television camera subsystems for taking cloudcover pictures, plus an omnidirectional radiometer and a five-channel scanningradiometer 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 thewide-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 theEarth.[3]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.TIROS satellites | ||
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| TIROS |  | |
| TOS | ||
| ITOS | ||
| TIROS-N | ||
| Adv. TIROS-N | ||
