ESSA-8
 An ESSA satellite | |
| Mission type | Weather satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESSA/NASA[1] |
| COSPAR ID | 1968-114A |
| SATCAT no. | 3615 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | RCA Astro |
| Launch mass | 297 kilograms (655 lb)[2] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 December 1968, 17:21:04 UTC[3] |
| Rocket | Delta N |
| Launch site | Vandenberg SLC-2E |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Deactivated | 12 March 1976 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 7,816.70 kilometers (4,857.07 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.0031481 |
| Perigee altitude | 1,421 kilometers (883 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,470 kilometers (910 mi) |
| Inclination | 101.31 degrees |
| Period | 114.63 minutes |
| Epoch | 7 December 2013, 13:01:30 UTC[4] |
ESSA-8 was a weather satellite launched by NASA on December 15, 1968. It operated for 2,644 days until it was deactivated on March 12, 1976. ESSA-8 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
ESSA-8 was an 18-sided polygon. It measured 110 centimetres (42 in) in diameter by 22 inches (56 cm) in height, with a mass of 130 kilograms (290 lb). It was made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel covered with 10,020 solar cells. The cells charged 63 nickel–cadmium batteries, which served as a power source. The satellite could take 8 to 10 pictures every 24 hours. Each photo covered a 5,200-square-kilometre (2,000 sq mi) area at a resolution of 3.2 kilometres (2 mi) per pixel.
ESSA-8's mission was to replace ESSA-6, and provide detailed cloud pattern photography to ground stations worldwide. Partners in the project included NASA, ESSA, RCA, the U.S. Weather Bureau, and the NMC.
References
- ^ "ESSA". NASA Science. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "ESSA 8". National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "ESSA 8 (TOS-F) Satellite details 1968-114A NORAD 3615". N2YO. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
External links
- http://www.earth.nasa.gov/history/essa/essa8.html
- http://www.met.fsu.edu/explores/Guide/Essa_Html/essa8.html
TIROS satellites | ||
|---|---|---|
| TIROS |  | |
| TOS | ||
| ITOS | ||
| TIROS-N | ||
| Adv. TIROS-N | ||
Template:Space-based meteorological observation
 | This article about one or more spacecraft of the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |