The Improved TIROS Operational Satellite (ITOS) was the second generation of NOAA operational polar orbiting spacecraft. This series served the nation's environmental needs from October 1972, until March 1979. The third generation polar system, TIROS-N, carried into space new environmental instruments which are major technological advances over ITOS. Specifically these new capabilities include: (1) Higher resolution, cloud cover observations on a local and global scale; (2) Improved observations of vertical temperature and water vapor profiles on a global scale; and (3) First operations flight of a high capacity data collection and platform location system. TIROS-N was launched on October 13, 1978, and is the current NOAA operational polar orbiting satellite. The second of this dual satellite system, NOAA-A, is scheduled for launch in May 1979. It will be designated NOAA-6 once in orbit. This paper discusses the Tiros-N/NOAA-A spacecraft, instrument payload, and the ground data processing and handling system operated by NOAA.


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    Title :

    The TIROS-N/NOAA Operational Satellite System


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1979


    Size :

    42 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    TOSS -- Tiros operational satellite system

    Glaser, A.H. / Christensen, F.E. | Engineering Index Backfile | 1963