TIROS - World's First Weather Satellite

TIROS 1 Satellite

The TIROS program was the first advancement in space-based meteorology returning the first pictures of Earth's weather from above.

NOAA

• Geostationary Satellites: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) are designed for short-term forecasting or now-casting.
• Polar-Orbiting Satellites: Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES) are designed for longer-range forecasting by monitoring the Earth in its entirety.

TIROS 1

Rocket Thor-Able rocket

Weight 270 lbs. (122 kg)

Equipment The satellite carried two television cameras, a magnetic tape recorder, timer systems, transmitters and a cylindrical solar array for power.

Dimensions The satellite was 1.1 meter (43 inches) in diameter. The height was 0.6 meters (23 inches), not including antennas.

Time The TIROS-1 was operational for 78 days and 1,302 orbits. An electrical failure put the satellite out of commission, but not before taking over 23,000 pictures of Earth.

Design The satellite was designed and constructed by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) under the supervision of the U.S. Army Signal Research and Development Laboratory in New Jersey.

• TIROS Background
• TIROS 1 Satellite
• TIROS Satellites 2 through 5
• TIROS Satellites 6 through 10