Weather

TIROS satellite history

  • TIROS 1

    TIROS 1 was luanched carrying two television cameras, a magnetic tape recorder, timer systems, transmitters and a cylindrical solar array for power.
  • TIROS 2

    TIROS 2 was luanched carrying 2 television cameras, 9260 solar cells, magnetic recorders for the cameras, and two infrared radiation experiments.
  • TIROS 3

    TIROS 3 was launched carrying one camera that failed after just 12 days, but the satellite discovered hurricane Esther. Instead of a high and low resolution camera, two wide-angle television cameras were used.
  • TIROS 4

    TIROS 4 with a new lens system was used to try to improve the resolution of the meteorological images sent back to the ground.
  • TIROS 5

    TIROS 5 was the first TIROS to be launched at a higher inclination and with equipment designed to keep it operational for longer periods, although the operational period stayed the same as TIROS 4.
  • TIROS 6

    TIROS 6 conducted the first satellite experiments to detect snow cover from space.
  • TIROS 7

    TIROS 7 contained experiments on infrared radiation and electron density and temperature in space
  • TIROS 8

    TIROS 8 was the first TIROS to photograph an 800 mile field of view.
  • TIROS 9

    TIROS 9 was the first to imagef the entire world's cloud-cover was achieved via a composite of 450 photos taken on February 13, 1965. While the satellite was set for a sun-synchronous 82-degree retrograde orbit, a malfunction caused a more elliptical orbit instead of a circular one.
  • TIROS 10

    TIROS 10's cameras were mounted on the base plate to get a wider field of view similar to TIROS 8.