Science, Technology, and Earth Applications Satellites¶
Science, Technology, and Earth Applications Satellites
Besides manned spaceflight and interplanetary exploration, NASA also had the charter to advance the state-of-the-art for spacecraft design and applications, space science studies, and earth application satellites. In the early 1960s, NASA began weather reporting by developing the medium orbit Television and Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS), and the polar orbit more advanced Nimbus spacecraft. It continued with earth studies using the Explorer series of satellites. It started the more complex Orbiting Observatories series (Solar, Astronomical, and Geophysical) which were to study the heavens from medium earth orbit. Finally, to advance satellite technology, NASA orbited the Syncom group of satellites which were the first communication spacecraft put into geosynchronous orbit, and the Applications Technology Satellites (ATS) to pushed the state-of-the art for communications satellites.
In the 1970s, NASA built on this foundation established in the 1960s. It continued developing weather satellites with the Improved TIROS Operational Satellites (ITOS), and eventually turned over day-to-day operations to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In the mid 70s, NASA designed the Synchronous Meteorological Satellites (SMS) that evolved in the Geostationary Environmental Operational Satellites (GEOS), which are also handled by NOAA. Our present day TV weather reports are provided by the GEOS system. The Orbiting Observatories satellites were continued, along with a new series, the High Energy Astronomical Observatories (HEAO). Finally, a new applications satellite was tested to perform earth remote sensing, and was initially called the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS). It was later renamed LANDSAT.