Aug 20 1976
From The Space Library
NOAA 5, launched by NASA 29 July for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) into a sun-synchronous polar orbit at 1505 km, was turned over to NOAA after checkout and would become the primary operational satellite providing weather forecasters with a wide variety of environmental data. NOAA 5 would replace an earlier version, NOAA 4, which would become the backup spacecraft; an older polar orbiter launched in 1973 would be deactivated. NOAA's Natl. Environmental Satellite Service operates 2 satellite systems: one polar-orbiting, the other consisting of 2 geostationary satellites remaining in the same relative position to earth's surface at all times. The polar-orbiting craft would scan any spot on earth twice every 24 hr and return visual and infrared imagery of cloudcover, sea-surface temperature, and other environmental indicators. (NOAA Release 76-199; MOR E-601-76-17 [postlaunch] 1 Oct 76; telcon, NOAA PAO, 5 Oct 76)
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