tiros v press kit

8/8/2019 Tiros v Press Kit

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N EWS R E LEASENATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION400 MARYLAND AVENUE, SW, WASHINGTON 25, D.CTELEPHONES WORTH 2-4155--WORTH 3-1110FOR RELEASE: SundayJune 17 , 1962

Release No. 62-136

NASA TO LAUNCH FIFTH WEATHER SATELLITE

Following four out of four successful Tiros satellitelaunchings, the National Aeronautics and Space Administrationwill soon attempt, no earlier than June 19, 1962, to launchche fifth in this series.The launch will be from Cape Canaveral, Florida and is

timed to provide maximum weather information during thehurricane season which normally reaches its peak in lateAugust and September. Tiros III, launched July 12, 1961,demonstrated the importance of weather satellite data forimmediate weather analysis when it discovered HurricaneEsther. Based on this information the hurricane was locatedtwo days in advance of the time possible with conventionalprocedures.

This newest spacecraft will be placed in orbit by thereliable three-stage Delta rocket developed by NASA. Thisvehicle has been successful in the last eight consecutivelaunchings.Tropical storms will be a chief objective of the newTiros. It is estimated that the satellite will view the

northern hemisphere with its TV cameras for the first tendays, spend the next 38 days over the southern hemisphereand then head north again. This schedule will put thesatellite over the northern hemisphere's hurricane and ty-phoon belts during the hurricane season.

This newest Tiros will circle the earth about every97 minutes at an altitude of approximately 350 nauticalmiles.

The TV picture data from the previous Tiros, Tiros IV,launched into orbit February 8th, became so poor in qualityover the June 9-10 weekend that routine meteorologicaloperational use is no longer feasible. However, infrareddata are still being obtained on a regular basis.


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Although quite similar to the four 'oevi'.Gus Tirossatellites, which have taken more than 120,000 usa-fu1l cloudcover photographs, the new Tiros will be the first to belaunched into an orbit inclined 58 degrees to thie equator.The others had a 48-degree inclination. At 58 degrees,the first pictures will include weather conditions asfar north as the 65th parallel--on a line with Fairbanks,Alaska and similar points in Iceland, Greens and andScandinavia.During its northern orbit, the satellice is expectedto transmit excellent pictures of the pattern of the later

phases of ice breakup in northern latitudes, as well asstorms originating in the same area, Knowledge of the Icebreakup pattern should provide information on the menaceof icebergs and fog to North Atlantic shippineg lanes.Analyses of data gathered from Tiros IV, launched February8, 1962, as well as those from Tiros I and II, suggestthat satellite television photography is a better meansof ice study over extensive areas than coventional aircraftreconnaissance. When viewing southern latitudes, the satelliteis expected to photograph the edges of the ice fieldssurrounding the Antarctic continent.The Tegea medium angle lens, proved successfulon the Tiros IV, will be used again, as well as the wideangle Elgeet lens used on


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The purpose of these experiments is to learn how muchsolar energy is absorbed and reflected, and how much infra-red radiation is emitted, by the earth and its atmosphere,and to further develop a means Or determining the nighttimecloud cover of the earth.Power for the operation of the electronicequipment is furnished by nickel-cadmium storage batterieswhich are charged by more than 9000 solar cells mountedon the top and sides of the spacecraft.NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,Maryland, has responsibility for overall technical directionof the project including tracking, command, data acquisition,and the infrared radiation experiments. The Office ofMeteorological Satellite Activities of the U. S. WeatherBureau is responsible for implementation and coordinationof the operational use of the cloud picture data and fortheir research use.Other U. S. weather services participate in bothoperational and research use.

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(-LTA TI[;33ORDIT TRACE

BOOST TRAJECTORYORBIT TRACE


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FACT SHEETTIROS PROGRAM

The Tiros program has been P very successful onefor the U.S. and its National Aeronauoics and SpaceAdministration in every aspect. This includes the success-ful four out of four launches from Cape Canaveral; as wellas the important meteorological information transmitted backto earth from the Tiros satellites, and its use in weatheranalysis and atmospheric research.The accomplishments of these spacecraft have beensignificant in five important areas:1. They have demonstrated the feasibility of ameteorological satellite as an engineering system.2. They have taken important scientific measure-ments of the atmosphere.3. Extensive use has been made of the satellitemeasurements in day-to-day weather analysis and forecastingoperations.4. An active international program of cooperationin meteorological satellite and related data has gottenunderway.5. A firm groundwork has been laid for the establish-ment of a Nationa' Operational Meteorological SatelliteSystem.

- TIROS I -The Tiros program was established with the launchinginto orbit from Cape Canaveral on April 1, 1960 of Tiros I,using a Thor-Able rocket. Between launch and June 17, 1960when operations ceased, the satellite transmitted nearly23,000 photographs of cloud cover. This historic space-craft proved that equipment necessary for meteorologicalobservations could be operated for long periods of timein space and could transmit data of considerable meteor-ological significance. Meteorologists hailed the Tiros Iexperiment as opening a new era in weather observation andimmediately applied the data to an experimental program

of operational use.

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Another scientific Experiment conducted with TirosIV data was Project Bright C'.oud conducted by the GeophysicsResearch Directorate of the Air Force Cambridge ResearchLaboratory. As a preliminary study leading to a possibleeventual automated cloud identification system, Tiros photoswere examined to determine cloud Identification by shapeand brightness.- International Meteorological Workshop -

An International Meterological Satellite Workshop,jointly sponsored by NASA and the U. S. Weather Bureau, washeld in Washington, D. C. November 13-22, 1962. Represent-atives from over 30 nations participated in the workshop,the goals of which were:1. To enable the weather services of other nationsto acquire a working knowledge of meteorological satellitedata for assistance in their future analysis programs bothin research and in daily application and for guidance intheir national observational support efforts.2. That the world meteorological communitymay become more familiar with the Tiros program.3. That the present activity may be put in properperspective relative to future operational programs.

TECHNICL H iM-- General -

The satellite was designed to obtain televisionpictures of cloud formations and patterns and reflectedsolar and infrared radiation measurements of the atmosphereover much of the world. In addition it was designed totransmit the data from these experiments to ground stationsfor analysis and operational and research use.

Weight: 285 poundsShapeDimensions: Cylindrical, resembling a largehat bcex, 42 inches in diameter,22 inches high.Launch: From Atlantic Missile Range, CapeCanaveral, Florida on a three stageThor Delta vehicle.

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;IOrbit: Approximately 350 miles altitudeat an inclination of about 53degrees from the Equator at speedsapproaching 17,000 miles per hour.

;--Operation -Power: 9,260 solar cells provide electricalenergy to 63 nickel cadmium storagebatteries.Transmitters: Five transmitters relay data fromthe satellite to ground stations.

a. Each of the two television camerasystems has a two-watt transmitteroperating on 235 megacycles.b. One two-watt 237.8 megacycletransmitter relays infrared'experiments data.c. Two tracking beacons operatingcontinuously on frequencies of136.23 me and 136.92 me areused to relay satellite telemetrydata such as temperature, pressureand battery charge level.- Camera System -

The TV cameras use a one-half inch Vidicon tubeespecially designed for satellite use. The cameras arealigned parallel to the satellite's spin axis and extendthrough the spacecraft base-plate. Each camera consistsof a Vidicon tube and a focal plane shutter which permitsstill pictures to be temporarily stored on tube face plate.An electron beam converts this store4 picture into a TVtype electronic signal which can be transmitted to groundstations or stored on a magnetic tape recorder.In each camera system there is a magnetic taperecorder and electronic clock or timer. Each recorder canstore up to thirty-two pictures on the magnetic tape forlater relay--this can be done by programming the timer asmuch as five hours in advance. When the satellite is withinground station range the photo-signals are "read out" and

the tape is erased and rewound for the next recording.

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When the satellite is within range of the ground station,the recorder can be bypassed so that pictures can bedirectly transmitted. Read outs are therefore referredto as being either direct or remote.

The recording tape is 400 feet long and movesfifty inches per second during playback and recording.Photographs are transmitted from one camera at a time andcomplete read out from both cameras takes about threeminutes.

- Horizon Sensor -An infrared sensor mounted on the rim of thesatellite can sense when its field of view crosses theearth's horizon. This Infonaation is relayed to the groundstations via the tracking beacon and assists in determiningthe satellite's attitude in space and re.lative to the earth.

- North Indicator -Around the sides of the satellite are nine equally

positioned solar cells which generate coded impulses whichare used to measure the position of the satellite withrespect to the sun. These data are transmitted with theTV transmission to the ground srations where they areprocessed by a sun-angle computer to -now which directionis North in each photograph.

- Magnetic Attitude ControlA wire coil around the exterior lower side of the

satellite generates a controllable magnetic field aroundthe satellite. When this magnetic field interacts withthat of the earth, the coil provides a means for verygradually tilting the satellite on command to obtain anadvantageous angle for the sensors and the solar powersupply.- Controls -

When the payload is separated from the thirdstage it will be spinning at about 126 R.P.M. About tenminutes after separation a timer will release a despinmechanism to slow the rotational speed to about 12 R.P.M.This mechanism consists of two weights attached to cableswound around the satellite. As the weights unwind, theyslow the rate of spin and when completely unwound, dropoff automatically.

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Tiros raust1; maintain a spi.n rate of at least 8 1L.


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At the ground stations, cloud cover pictures willbe displayed in kinescopes and photographed by 35 mmcameras. In addition, both photo and infrared data willbe recorded on magnetic tapes. Meteorological teams atboth primary stations will analyze the pnotographic dataand relay it to the National Meteorological Center, Suit-land, Md.,forreal time operational use.The infrared tapes will be sent to NASA'sGoddard Space Flight Center for processing and analysis.The time required for reduction and processing of thesedata prevents their real time use.

-Launch Vehicle *The Delta vehicle used to launch this Tiros wasdeveloped for NASA by the Douglas Aircraft Co., and hasthe following characteristics:Height: 90 feetMax. Diameter: 8 feetLift-off Weight: A little less than 112,000 pounds

First Stage (Modified Douglas Thor):Fuel: Liquid (LOX and Kerosene)Thrust: About 150,000 poundsBurning Time; 160 seconds

Second Stage (Aerojet General propulsion system):Fuel: LiquidThrust: About 7,500 poundsBurning Time: 109 seconds

Third Stage (Allegany Ballistics Laboratory X-248 solid motor):Fuel: SolidThrust: About 3,000 poundsBurning Time: 40 seconds (After 6 minute coast)

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'i trT Sequence:--The first stage falls away on burnout.. The second

sta~r ignites immediately. The nose fairing which coversIt1h lro stage and payload is jettisoned during second stageburning. The second and third stages coast for six minutesafter second stage burnout. Then, the third stage is spinstabilized, and the second stage falls away, and the thirdstage is ignited. The third stage reaches an orbitalvelocity of almost 17,000 miles per hour.

TIROS PROJECT PARTICIPANTSThe overall responsibility for the project restswith the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.The development and operational phase of the project is

under the direction of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.Goddard will prepare th e command programming which theground stations will relay to the satellite. These programswill be based on information from NASA's Computing Centerand recommendations of the Meteorological Satellite Activities,the U. S. Weather Bureau. The radiation experiments weredesigned and the data storage and telemetry equipmentassociated with them were constructed by Goddard.

With the exception of the infrared experiments,the satellite was designed and constructed by the Astro-Electronics Division of RCA, Princeton, New Jersey, undercontract to NASA. In addition, RCA was responsible forthe special ground station equipment. Barnes EngineeringCompany, Stamford, Connecticut, under NASA contract,provided radiation detectors. The University of Wisconsindesigned one of the IR experiments.

Douglas Aircraft Company is prime contractor forthe Delta launch vehicle. In addition, it is responsibleFor launching services, supported by the Air Force MissileTest Center which operates the Atlantic Missile Range.

The Office of Meteorological Satellite Activities,U. S. Weather Bureau is responsible for meteorologicalanalysis and interpretation of the TV picture data.Cooperating in this phase of the project are the U. S.Navy Photographic Interpretation Center, the GeophysicsResearch Directorate of the Air Force Cambridge ResearchLaboratories, the Air Force Air Weather Service, the NavyWeather Service and university research groups.

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Officials concerned with the TIROS experimentinclude:Dr. Morris Tepper, Director of MeteorologicalSystems, NASA Headquarters.Dr. William K. Widger, Ch"'f of OperationalMeteorological Systems, NASA Headquarters.Mr. William G. Stroud, Chief of the Aeronomyand Meteorology Division at Goddard Space Flight Center.Mr. Herbert I. Butler, Associate Chief forProjects, Aeronomy and Meteorology Division at GoddardSpace Flight Center.Mr. Robert M. Rados, Tiros Project Manager, NASA'soddard Space Flight Center.Mr. Abraham Schnapf, Tiros Program Manager forCA's Astro-Electronics Division.Dr. S. Fred Singer, Director of the U. S. WeatherBureau's Meteorological Satellite Activities.Mr. Dave Johnson, Deputy Director of the U. S.eather Bureau's Meteorological Satellite Activities,.

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tiros v press kit

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