Weather Satellites: NIMBUS V

NIMBUS V

Launch date: December 11, 1972

Launch site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

Launch vehicle: Delta 900

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE:

Continuation of research, development and testing of new meteorological sensors, systems and systems configurations to measure atmospheric temperature, water vapor and ozone. Those sensors which could be used in operational weather analysis and prediction were to be added to the NOAA operational weather satellite program.

SATELLITE DESCRIPTION:

The spacecraft was designed and configured the same as all previous NIMBUS satellites. The total weight of the spacecraft was the largest ever for a meteorological satellite-1580 pounds. The excess weight of NIMBUS V was due to the addition of four new experiments to the nine flown on NIMBUS IV.

The new experiments included an electrically scanning microwave radiometer, an infrared temperature profile radiometer, a microwave spectrometer, and a surface composition mapping radiometer. Improved versions of the chopper radiometer and the temperature, humidity and infrared radiometer were also flown. The craft was powered by 10,500 solar cells and two SNAP-19 nuclear powered generators.

The craft was placed in sun synchronous orbit and transmission of data from all of the experiments was completed as scheduled. NIMBUS V remained operational over 10 years until it was deactivated on March 29, 1983.

PARTICIPANTS:

NASA, General Electric, NOAA, US Weather Bureau, MIT, Jet Propulsion Lab, Oxford University, Heriot Watts University.