Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA)
type: Concept

ESSA-3
type: Concept
change note: 2018-11-14 10:37:23.0 [sritz] update AltLabel (Environmental Science Services Administration 3);
change note: 2018-10-30 11:44:45.0 [sritz] Rename Concept update PrefLabel (ESSA-3);
change note: 2018-11-14 10:38:27.0 [sritz] update AltLabel (Environmental Science Services Administration Satellite 3);
change note: 2018-11-14 10:42:28.0 [sritz] insert AltLabel (id: null category: null text: TOS-A language code: en);
change note: 2018-10-30 11:43:43.0 [sritz] Insert Concept add broader relation (ESSA--3 [c7706afe-079a-4966-8a9e-6a688ca9b880,368195] - ESSA [65cb3e7c-d4d8-46df-a5fc-aec63e58e8df,345109]);
change note: 2018-11-14 10:37:02.0 [sritz] insert AltLabel (id: null category: primary text: Environmental Science Services Administration language code: en); insert AltLabel (id: null category: null text: TOS-E language code: en);
change note: 2018-10-30 13:00:59.0 [sritz] insert Definition (id: null text: ESSA-3 satellite replaced ESSA-1. It provided cloud-cover photography to the US's National Meteorological Center for the purpose of preparing weather analyses and forecasts. The spacecraft was designed and configured exactly the same as NIMBUS-1. The total weight of the spacecraft was 912 pounds. The spacecraft was an 18-sided polygon, 42 inches in diameter, 22 inches high and weighed 320 pounds; it was made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel, then covered with 9100 solar cells. The solar cells served to charge the 63 nickel-cadmium batteries. The two cameras were mounted 180-degrees opposite each other along the side of the cylindrical craft. The "cartwheel" configuration of the TIROS-9 was selected as the orbital configuration for the ESSA satellites. Therefore, a camera could be pointed at some point on Earth every time the satellite rotated along its axis. The spacecraft operating system was the same as on the TIROS-9. The craft was placed in its planned Sun-synchronous 101 degree inclination retrograde orbit. The ESSA-3 system transmitted images covering 2000-square mile areas with 2-mile resolution from every location once per day. ESSA-3 Stats: Launch Date: October 02, 1966 Operational Period: 736 days until deactivated by NASA on December 02, 1968 Launch Vehicle: Thrust Augmented Three-Stage Delta Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA Type: Weather Satellite language code: en);
definition: ESSA-3 satellite replaced ESSA-1. It provided cloud-cover photography to the US's National Meteorological Center for the purpose of preparing weather analyses and forecasts. The spacecraft was designed and configured exactly the same as NIMBUS-1. The total weight of the spacecraft was 912 pounds. The spacecraft was an 18-sided polygon, 42 inches in diameter, 22 inches high and weighed 320 pounds; it was made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel, then covered with 9100 solar cells. The solar cells served to charge the 63 nickel-cadmium batteries. The two cameras were mounted 180-degrees opposite each other along the side of the cylindrical craft. The "cartwheel" configuration of the TIROS-9 was selected as the orbital configuration for the ESSA satellites. Therefore, a camera could be pointed at some point on Earth every time the satellite rotated along its axis. The spacecraft operating system was the same as on the TIROS-9. The craft was placed in its planned Sun-synchronous 101 degree inclination retrograde orbit. The ESSA-3 system transmitted images covering 2000-square mile areas with 2-mile resolution from every location once per day. ESSA-3 Stats: Launch Date: October 02, 1966 Operational Period: 736 days until deactivated by NASA on December 02, 1968 Launch Vehicle: Thrust Augmented Three-Stage Delta Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA Type: Weather Satellite
alternative label: TOS-A
in scheme: platforms