NOAA-B

NOAA-B

Mission type	Weather
Operator	NOAA/NASA
COSPAR ID	1980-043A
SATCAT №	11819
Mission duration	Launch failure
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	TIROS-N
Launch mass	1,405 kilograms (3,097 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	May 29, 1980
Rocket	Atlas E/F Star-37S-ISS
Launch site	Vandenberg SLC-3W
End of mission
Decay date	May 3, 1981
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth (Sun-synchronous planned)
Perigee	267 kilometers (166 mi)
Apogee	1,377 kilometers (856 mi)
Inclination	92.2 degrees
Period	101.34 minutes
Epoch	June 28, 1980[1]

NOAA-B^[2] was a spacecraft in the TIROS-N series launched by NASA on May 29, 1980. Intended for a sun-synchronous orbit, the spacecraft entered a lower, elliptical orbit due to a launch vehicle malfunction resulting in a failed mission. Had the launch been successful it would have been designated NOAA-7.^[3]

Science Objectives

• Day and night observation of global cloud cover.
• Observation of atmospheric water/temperature profile.
• Monitoring particle flux in the near-Earth environment.

Launch Failure

Following launch a fuel leak between the turbopump and gearbox caused the main engine to lose 20–25% of its thrust.^[4][5] This caused the guidance system of the Atlas launch vehicle to increase the length of the first stage burn to compensate.^[4]

Due to requirements specific to TIROS missions, there was no interface between the satellite and the launch vehicle guidance systems.^[4] This resulted in the satellite attempting to separate from the launch vehicle at approximately 370 seconds after launch. The separation failed due to recontact between the Atlas - which was still under thrust - and the satellite, which only separated when the solid-fuel rocket motor intended to place NOAA-B into a circular 830 km (450 nmi) sun-synchronous orbit fired.^[4]

Because the satellite had been unable to perform the pitch-down maneuver necessary to reach its intended orbit the spacecraft ended up in a highly elliptical orbit that was unsuitable for the intended mission.^[3][6] Following unsuccessful attempts to correct the orbit using the satellite's attitude control thrusters, NASA pronounced the mission a failure.^[3][7][8]

Unlike the earlier Nimbus 1, which was also launched into an unplanned elliptical orbit following a launch vehicle malfunction, no attempt appears to have been made to operate the spacecraft instrumentation during its remaining lifetime in orbit.^[9]

References

Notes

1. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
2. NSSCD - NOAA-B - Trajectory Details, 2012
3. Spokane Daily Chronicle, May 30, 1980. p. 8
4. Eleazer, 2012
5. Merced Sun-Star, May 30, 1980. p. 27
6. The Spokesman-Review, May 30, 1980. p. 14
7. Bell, 1980
8. Wade, 2012.
9. NSSCD - NOAA-B - Spacecraft Description, 2012

Sources

• Bell, Peter M. (1980). "NOAA-B satellite mission unsuccessful". Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union 61: 515. doi:10.1029/eo061i027p00515-03. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
• "Satellite in wrong orbit, a total loss". Merced Sun-Star. May 30, 1980. Retrieved January 2013.
• "Weather Satellite Unstable". The Spokesman-Review. May 30, 1980. Retrieved January 2013.
• "Satellite goes off its course". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 30, 1980. Retrieved January 2013.
• Mark Wade. "Tiros N". Astronautix.com. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
• "NOAA-B - Spacecraft Details at the N Space Science Data Centre". May 14, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
• Eleazer, Wayne (December 31, 2012). "Launch failures: engine out". The Space Review. Retrieved January 1, 2013.

External links

• "Prelaunch summary: NOAA-B launch" (PDF). NASA. May 13, 1980. Retrieved January 1, 2013.