Weather Satellites: TIROS VIII

TIROS VIII - Television Infrared Observation Satellite VIII

Launch date: December 23, 1963

Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida

Launch vehicle: Three-stage Delta

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE:

Continued research and development of the meteorological satellite information system. To flight test the Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) camera system and ground stations.

SPACECRAFT DESCRIPTION:

The spacecraft was an 18-sided polygon, 42 inches in diameter, 19 inches high and weighed 270 pounds. The craft was made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel then covered by 9200 solar cells. The solar cells served to charge the 63 nickel-cadmium batteries.

This craft contained two wide angle camera systems, one with the standard TIROS wide angle lens and one with an APT lens designed to photograph an area 800 miles on a side. APT pictures were transmitted using a slow-scan principle (four lines per second), a principle similar to the transmission of radio photographs. Each APT ground station was designed to receive three pictures per orbit. Because of the APT flight test objective of this mission, and the fact that TIROS VII was still operational, no radiometers were flown aboard TIROS VIII.

The spacecraft operating system still included the infrared horizon scanner, the north direction indicator, despin weights and spinup rockets, and the magnetic attitude control system. TIROS VIII's APT system exceeded its 90-day expected lifetime and was a great success. Forty seven ground stations around the world were able to ingest satellite images. TIROS VIII remained operational for 1287 days before being deactivated by NASA on July 1, 1967.

PARTICIPANTS:

NASA, RCA, US Weather Bureau, Fairchild Stratos.