NOAA-B

NOAA-B[3] was a spacecraft in the TIROS-N series launched by NASA on 29 May 1980. Intended for a Sun-synchronous orbit, the spacecraft entered a lower, elliptical orbit due to a launch vehicle malfunction resulting in a failed mission. Had the launch been successful it would have been designated NOAA-7.[4]

NOAA-B
Mission typeMeteorology
OperatorNOAA
COSPAR ID1980-043A
SATCAT no.11819
Mission durationPlanned: 2 years
Launch failure
Spacecraft properties
BusTIROS-N[1]
ManufacturerRCA Astro Electronics[2]
Launch mass1,405 kg (3,097 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date29 May 1980, 10:53 (1980-05-29UTC10:53) UTC[3]
RocketAtlas F 19F[2]
Launch siteVandenberg SLC-3W[2]
End of mission
DisposalOrbital decay
Decay date3 May 1981 (1981-05-04)[3]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Eccentricity0.08142
Perigee altitude273 km (170 mi)
Apogee altitude1,453 km (903 mi)
Inclination92.3°
Period102.2 minutes
Epoch28 May 1980, 20:00:00 UTC[3]
TIROS-N
 

Science objectives
  • Day and night observation of global cloud cover.
  • Observation of atmospheric water/temperature profile.
  • Monitoring particle flux in the near-Earth environment.

Launch failure

Following launch a fuel leak between the turbopump and gearbox caused the main engine to lose 20–25% of its thrust.[5][6] This caused the guidance system of the Atlas launch vehicle to increase the length of the first stage burn to compensate.[5]

Due to requirements specific to TIROS missions, there was no interface between the satellite and the launch vehicle guidance systems.[5] This resulted in the satellite attempting to separate from the launch vehicle at approximately 370 seconds after launch. The separation failed due to recontact between the Atlas - which was still under thrust - and the satellite, which only separated when the solid-fuel rocket motor intended to place NOAA-B into a circular 830 km (450 nmi) sun-synchronous orbit fired.[5]

Because the satellite had been unable to perform the pitch-down maneuver necessary to reach its intended orbit the spacecraft ended up in a highly elliptical orbit that was unsuitable for the intended mission.[4][7] Following unsuccessful attempts to correct the orbit using the satellite's attitude control thrusters, NASA pronounced the mission a failure.[1][4][8]

Unlike the earlier Nimbus 1, which was also launched into an unplanned elliptical orbit following a launch vehicle malfunction, no attempt appears to have been made to operate the spacecraft instrumentation during its remaining lifetime in orbit.[9]

gollark: Anyway, training phase #3 is to occur tomorrow and consist of providing it with exactly the same data but 25% more computing time.
gollark: I don't have GPT-3 or anything.
gollark: Exciting, 99% done with training phase #2.
gollark: mgollark is milligollark.
gollark: Their 117-million-parameter mind is too small to contain true gollariosity.

References
  1. "Tiros N". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  2. "TIROS-N, NOAA 6, B, 7". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  3. "NOAA-B: Trajectory Details". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  4. "Satellite goes off its course". Spokane Daily Chronicle. 30 May 1980. p. 8. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  5. Eleazer, Wayne (31 December 2012). "Launch failures: engine out". The Space Review. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  6. "Satellite in wrong orbit, a total loss". Merced Sun-Star. 30 May 1980. p. 27. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  7. "Weather Satellite Unstable". The Spokesman-Review. 30 May 1980. p. 14. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  8. Bell, Peter M. (1980). "NOAA-B satellite mission unsuccessful". Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union. 61 (27): 515. Bibcode:1980EOSTr..61R.515B. doi:10.1029/eo061i027p00515-03.
  9. "NOAA-B: Spacecraft Details". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
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