50 Years Ago: Tiros System keeps advancing

Duplicate of Tiros satellite used in public exhibitions across America.

It's worth remembering, so close to the beginning of the hurricane season, that we've only had weather satellites in orbit of Earth for a little over 50 years. On June 19, 1963, NASA launched TIROS 7, a 42 inch diameter, 270 pound marvel of 1960's technology. Liftoff was on a Thor-Able rocket from Launch Complex 17 at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Thor-Able rocket. Forerunner of the Delta family of rockets.

Tiros 7 continued the use of two camera systems to record cloud cover and track storms, but also borrowed from an Explorer 17 satellite to include new measurements on temperatures in space and infrared reflections of solar and terrestrial radiation. It would last the longest of the many Tiros satellites, until June of 1968. On its first orbit, its camera 2 detected a cloud vortex over Newfoundland and within an hour had pictures transmitted to ground engineers for analysis. 

Malfunction... Malfunction...

Orbital debris surrounds the Earth. Credit: Google Earth.

Just a month ago, Ecuador launched its first satellite using a Chinese rocket. Now, it seems it has met with disaster. With help from the US-based Joint Operations Center, scientists have been able to piece together data, tracking, and timing to conclude that the small satellite has probably hit a tumbling, spent Soviet-era rocket booster. The JOC monitors all space orbiting objects and debris. With their fine attention to details, they help NASA plot safe trajectories and warn the ISS when a piece of debris is likely to pass into their safety zone.

Logo for the Ecuadorian satellite.

The Pegaso satellite was Ecuador's first and only satellite, and was a proud moment of achievement for the nation. It was a nano-satellite, cube-shaped weighing only 2.6 pounds. Its purpose was to take pictures from orbit and play the national anthem so radio operators could practice space communications. Not much of a satellite compared to the big advanced models usually launched, but for EXA, the Ecuadorian Space Agency, and the people of Ecuador, a proud achievement. Their scientists speculate that there may still be hope it can be contacted and stabilized, but they should no doubt be looking forward for their next mission.

GOES-13. Credit: Boeing.

Bad luck isn't just for Ecuador. It happens to American equipment, too. The weather satellite GOES-13, operated by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), has lost control of both of its main instruments. The satellite was tasked with providing weather coverage of the American East Coast. Fortunately, because of the importance of weather coverage, a "spare" or backup satellite had already been launched in 2006 and placed in "storage mode" just in case something like this happened. With the re-activation of the backup satellite, weather coverage is assured.

50 Years Ago: Tiros 6 launched

Replica of Tiros 6. This model was placed on public display in the Parade of Progress Show.

On September 18, 1962 NASA launched the Tiros 6 weather satellite. It was launched on a Delta three-stage rocket and placed in orbit believed to be low enough not to suffer radiation from a recent US Air Force space atomic blast test. The launch was the 6th successful placement of Tiros satellites in orbit and the eleventh straight success in the launch of Delta three-stage rockets. The satellite performed very well and later that day had already sent images to Earth that could be used in weather forecasting.

50 Years Ago: TIROS keeps hunting Hurricanes

TIROS Satellite

When someone asks you why we should spend money on the space program, start by telling them about TIROS. Fifty years ago, as our nation watched television breathlessly for the next manned space launches, the benefits of being able to launch satellites was paying off large dividends. On June 19 NASA launched the TIROS 5 satellite into orbit. The pictures coming from TIROS 4 had been degrading since the middle of June, and only some of its visual data was useful for forecasting. TIROS 5 was expected to relieve the aging TIROS 4 and start helping the nation prepare for the current hurricane season.

TIROS cloud cover map made from TIROS TV imaging.

On June 15, 1962, The US Weather Bureau informed the news agencies that they believed the formation of the first hurricane of the 1962 season would be detected by "one or all of its battery of ships, planes, radar and TIROS weather satellites." In 1961, TIROS 3 had spied hurricane Esther in the Atlantic Ocean just as it was forming. The total 1961 count of watching storms from space had been 5 hurricanes and 1 tropical storm in the Atlantic, and 11 hurricanes and typhoons plus 1 tropical storm in the Pacific. By tracking these storms from space better than storms had ever been tracked before, many lives were saved, property prepared for the storms, and ships at sea diverted.

Thor-Able 4th from left, to right side of Gemini-Titan. I took this picture of NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center Rocket Park on my last trip.

TIROS 5 was sent into space on the Thor-Able rocket from pad LC-17A just as TIROS 4 began experiencing failures. Unfortunately the launch placed the satellite into an elliptical orbit instead of a circular one; nevertheless the pictures from TIROS 5 were excellent at first. TIROS 5 would continue to work for 161 days.

When you consider all the hurricanes and ocean storms that have occurred over the last 50 years, that were tracked and watched from these remote stations in outer space, you begin to realize just how much damage and loss of life could have hit our nation without them. Think also of all the weather forecasting that has increased crop production as well as saved them and you begin to see the enormity of what the space weather satellites have achieved.

50 YA - Tiros 4 Launched to orbit

Tiros Weather Satellite.

FIfty years ago NASA launched the 4th member of the Tiros weather satellites. The launch occurred on February 8th from Cape Canaveral with a Thor-Able rocket blasting off from Launch Complex 17A. I have another source which claims the rocket used was a Thor-Delta configuration. Thor-Deltas were generally launched from LC-17. The Thor-Delta was the forerunner to today's Delta-class rockets.

Thor-Able rocket.

Thor-Delta rocket.

Both rocket configurations are similar. In either case, the Tiros-4 weather satellite was placed into orbit and began sending photos and data back to Earth within 24 hours. The satellite was about 42 inches in diameter, and cylinder-shaped. Two different telephoto cameras were installed, with other sensors and communications systems. The Tiros weather system enabled forecasters to more carefully watch cloud cover, storm systems, and photograph weather events from orbit.

50 YA - Tiros III spots a monster

Tiros spin-stabilized satellite.

Almost Forgot! We remember that Tiros 3, an early weather satellite, had some success in spotting storms at sea. %0 years ago, it spotted and captured on camera a full blown hurricane.

Gotcha! Esther in 1961.

Like the first two Tiros machines, the processes of watching storms from space were still developing and were experimental. It took about 8 hours for the images to be processed through the early computers of the time, and the photos themselves were not considered proof enough to declare Esther an official hurricane. It was, though, enough to recognize the storm for the danger it was and to begin tracking it. Two days later, hurricane-hunter aircraft penetrated the storm and proved winds were at hurricane strength. It was also determined to be heading towards the U.S.

Hurricane Irene hits the Bahamas, 2011.

Now compare the image of another beast, this time the recent hurricane Irene. As you are aware, Irene just completed a very damaging hit to the eastern seaboard of the U.S. causing billions of dollars in damage. Irene was tracked minute by minute by today's modern weather watchers in space, from its discovery as a front just off the coast of Africa to its last moments sweeping to see in the North Atlantic. Because we had adequate warning, many lives were saved and much property protected. This is the great advantage of space access and technology.

Back in 1961, Esther struck back as a hurricane-hunter went missing and seven airmen were killed. Esther made a loop in its path before crashing into New England and causing $37 million in damages, very modest compared to Irene's damage. Am interesting note: Esther was the first hurricane to experience our scientists' attempts to use cloud-seeding to dump water while out at sea. As a fact, Esther did weaken before hitting land, which encouraged scientists to try more methods like this.

50 YA - Tiros 3 finds some storms

Tiros- class satellite.

Fifty years ago, detecting weather from Earth orbit was still in its infancy, but progress was being made. Tiros 3, launched into space aboard a Thor-Delta rocket on November 23, 1960, used its only working television camera to spot two storm cells developing south-southwest of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. These cells had not yet been discovered by ground, air, or sea reconnaissance.

Tiros 3 had originally been equipped with 2 wide-angle cameras but the first failed after 12 days in space. the remaining camera did excellent work, and discovered many storms during the 1961 hurricane season.

We'll be coming back to Tiros 3 on September 10. Stand by for action!