TIROS-2

TIROS-2
TIROS-2 before launch
Mission typeWeather satellite
OperatorNASA
Harvard designation1960 Pi 1
COSPAR ID1960-016A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.63
Mission duration376 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeTIROS
ManufacturerRCA Astro
GSFC
Launch mass127 kilograms (280 lb)
Start of mission
Launch dateNovember 23, 1960, 11:13:03 (1960-11-23UTC11:13:03Z) UTC
RocketThor DM-19 Delta
Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-17A
End of mission
DisposalNatural re-entry
Last contactDecember 4, 1961 (1961-12-05)
Decay dateMay 18, 2014
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Semi-major axis6,755.43 kilometers (4,197.63 mi)
Eccentricity0.0014596
Perigee altitude374 kilometers (232 mi)
Apogee altitude394 kilometers (245 mi)
Inclination48.51 degrees
Period92.09 minutes
EpochDecember 8, 2013, 11:58:18 UTC
Instruments
Widefield Radiometer
Scanning Radiometer
Television Camera System
← TIROS-1
TIROS-3 →

TIROS-2 (or TIROS-B) was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the second in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites. It re-entered on May 18, 2014.

Spacecraft

TIROS-2 was an 18-sided right prism, 107 cm in diameter and 56 cm high, with 9,260 1 by 2 cm silicon solar cells covered the top and sides. Five small directly opposed pairs of solid-fuel thrusters maintained a spin of 8 to 12 rpm. For attitude control, the spacecraft used an infrared horizon sensor and a magnetic attitude control device, made of 250 cores of wire wound around the outer surface, which oriented the spin axis to a 1 to 2 degree accuracy. It also had a direction indicator for picture orientation.

The satellite had two independent television camera subsystems, one low-resolution and one high-resolution, for taking pictures of cloud cover. Each camera had a magnetic tape recorder for storing photographs while out of range of the ground station network. It also had a five-channel medium-resolution scanning radiometer and a two channel non-scanning low resolution radiometer for measuring radiation from the earth and atmosphere.

Development

TIROS-2 was developed by a 44-year-old scientist named Dr. Morris Tepper, Chief Meteorological Satellite Program, NASA, and was affiliated with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He also was born in Palestine in 1916. Morris Tepper would later come to The United States of America in 1922 and became a citizen in 1926. He would earn a professional membership which included The American Meteorological Society, The American Rocket Society, and eventually The Washington Academy of Science.

Morris Tepper was in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He would later become responsible for launching the satellite. During development, Dr. Tepper proposed the longer-term NASA Meteorological Satellite Program which included later TIROS satellites. This eventually included The Nimbus Program and the anticipated Aeros series. Due to this proposal by Dr. Tepper, NASA started to establish a program to support the work.

Morris Tepper worked alongside Mr. R. M. Rados who was a general contact and Dr. R. A. Stampfl, who was a project manager affiliated with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center as well. Morris later retired from NASA and was formerly in Dep Dir, Earth Obs. Programs.

In 1959, NASA was temporarily housing its weather satellite group at the NRL known as TIROS. Marjorie Townsend was a part of the development for the ground equipment which was responsible for the infrared experiment.

At NASA, Marjorie Townsend's presence was often challenged due to one engineer calling her "stupid." But, she fought back and kept working out of desperation. Townsend later retired from NASA in 1980.

Launch

TIROS-2 was launched on November 23, 1960, at 11:13:03 UTC, by a Thor-Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This was followed by the launch on November 11 which The Weather Bureau and NASA invited scientists from 21 nations to participate in the analysis of weather data gathered by TIROS II. With, the cooperation of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, The Weather Bureau meteorologists issue first advisories on air pollution potential over the eastern United States.

The spacecraft functioned nominally until January 22, 1961, when components of the scanning radiometer started deteriorating. The satellite orbited the Earth once every 98 minutes, at an inclination of 48.5°. Its perigee was 609 kilometers (329 nmi) and apogee was 742 kilometers (401 nmi). On May 18, 2014, TIROS-2 naturally re-entered the atmosphere and vaporized before reaching the earth's surface.

Instruments

TIROS 2 added two infrared radiometers to TIROS 1 instruments, which allowed more analysis of frontal zones.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "TIROS". science.nasa.gov. NASA. May 22, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "TIROS 2". National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  3. ↑ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  4. ↑ "TIROS 2 Satellite details 1960-016A NORAD 63". N2YO. December 8, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  5. ↑ "TIROS 2". Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "CelesTrak SATCAT: 1960-016". celestrak.org. Retrieved October 24, 2026.
  7. ↑ Page A4614 https://archive.org/details/sim_congressional-record-proceedings-and-debates_aprill-11-july-20-1962_108/page/A4613/mode/1up?q=%22brain+behind+tiros%22
  8. 1 2 "Dedication of Forest Fire Laboratory" (PDF). journals.ametsoc.org/. February 1961. Retrieved Friday, 17 September 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. 1 2 Space Administration, National Aeronautics and (1960-016A). "TIROS 2". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved Friday, 17 September 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)
  10. ↑ Special to The New York Times. (1960, Nov 24). Brain behind tiros: Morris tepper. New York Times (1923-) Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1960/11/24/archives/brain-behind-tiros-morris-tepper.html
  11. ↑ and Space Administration, National Aeronautics. "By MORRIS TEPPER, Director of Meteorological Systems, Office of Applications, NASA" (PDF). ntrs.nasa.gov. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  12. ↑ "A Report on the Meteorological Satellite Program" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2025.
  13. ↑ Space Administration, National Aueronautics and. "Personnel Display". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved Friday, 18 September 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  14. 1 2 3 Mihelich, Peggy (2 November 2010). "Small satellite a big success for engineer Marjorie Townsend". www.aaas.org. Retrieved Friday, 18 September 2026. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  15. ↑ "History of the National Weather Service: 1950–1969". www.weather.gov. NOAA's National Weather Service. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  16. ↑ Hawkins, R. S. (October 1, 1964). "Analysis and Interpretation of TIROS II Infrared Radiation Measurements". Journal of Applied Meteorology. 3 (5): 564–572. Bibcode:1964JApMe...3..564H. doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1964)003<0564:aaioti>2.0.co;2. hdl:2027/mdp.39015095125376. ISSN 0021-8952.