ESSA-2
ESSA-2 (or OT-2) was a spin-stabilized operational meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA).
 ESSA 2 | |
| Mission type | Weather satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESSA/NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1966-016A |
| SATCAT no. | 2091 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | RCA Astro |
| Launch mass | 286 kilograms (631 lb)[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | February 3, 1966, 13:55 UTC[2] |
| Rocket | Delta C |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-17B |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Deactivated | October 16, 1970 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 7,115.60 kilometers (4,421.43 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.00399 |
| Perigee altitude | 1,355 kilometers (842 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,415 kilometers (879 mi) |
| Inclination | 101.3° |
| Period | 113.5 minutes |
| Epoch | February 28, 1966 |
TOS | |
Launch
ESSA-2 was launched on February 28, 1966 at 13:55 UTC. It was launched atop a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft had a mass of 132 kilograms (291 lb) at the time of launch. ESSA-2 had an inclination of 101.3°, and an orbited the earth once every 113 minutes. Its perigee was 1,355 kilometers (842 mi) and its apogee was 1,455 kilometers (904 mi).
Mission
ESSA-2 was a sun-synchronous polar-orbiting weather satellite whose mission was to provide real-time pictures of cloud cover using the automatic picture transmission system. These cloud cover pictures were used by meteorologists for use in weather forecasting and analysis. The satellite provided useful cloud pictures for more than 4 years before the camera systems were placed in standby mode on March 20, 1970. ESSA-2 was fully deactivated on October 16, 1970.[1]
References
- "ESSA 2". National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
