Weather Satellites: NOAA B

NOAA B - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Satellite B

Launch date: May 29, 1980

Launch site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

Launch vehicle: Atlas E/F

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE:

Work as a companion to NOAA-6 to provide continuous coverage of the Earth and to provide high-resolution global meteorological data.

SATELLITE DESCRIPTION:

The spacecraft (would have been NOAA-7) failed to achieve a usable orbit. A failure of a booster on the Atlas rocket did not allow for adequate thrust to place the satellite in a stable orbit.

PARTICIPANTS:

NASA, RCA AstroElectronics, NOAA, US Weather Bureau.