| definition
| - Nimbus-3 was launched in April 1969 and was the third in a series of
second-generation meteorological research-and-development satellites that was
designed to serve as a stabilized, earth-oriented platform for the testing of
advanced meteorological sensor systems and for collecting meteorological data.
The polar-orbiting spacecraft consisted of three major elements: (1) a sensory
ring, (2) solar paddles, and (3) the control system housing. The solar paddles
and the control system housing were connected to the sensory ring by a truss
structure, giving the satellite the appearance of an ocean buoy. Nimbus-3 was
nearly 3.7 m tall, 1.5 m in diameter at the base, and about 3 m across with
solar paddles extended. The torus-shaped sensory ring, which formed the
satellite base, housed the electronics equipment and battery modules. The lower
surface of the torus ring provided mounting space for sensors and telemetry
antennas. An H-frame structure mounted within the center of the torus provided
support for the larger experiments and tape recorders. Mounted on the control
system housing, which was located on top of the spacecraft, were sun sensors,
horizon scanners, gas nozzles for attitude control, and a command antenna. Use
of the attitude control subsystem (ACS) permitted the spacecraft's orientation
to be controlled to within plus or minus 1 degree for all three axes (pitch,
roll, and yaw).
Primary experiments consisted of a satellite infrared spectrometer (SIRS) for
determining the vertical temperature profiles of the atmosphere, an infrared
interferometer spectrometer (IRIS) for measuring the emission spectra of the
earth-atmosphere system, both high- and medium-resolution infrared radiometers
(HRIR and MRIR) for yielding information on the distribution and intensity of
infrared radiation emitted and reflected by the earth and its atmosphere,
monitor of ultraviolet solar energy (MUSE) for detecting solar UV radiation,
image dissector camera system for providing daytime cloudcover pictures in both
real-time mode using the real time transmission system and tape recorder mode
using the high data rate storage system, radioisotope thermoelectric generator
(RTG) SNAP-19 to assess the operational capability of radioisotope power for
space applications, and an interrogation, recording and location system (IRLS)
experiment designed to locate, interrogate, record, and retransmit
meteorological and geophysical data from remote collection stations.
Nimbus-3 was successful and performed normally until July 22, 1969, when the
IRIS experiment failed. The HRIR and the SIRS experiments were terminated on
January 25, 1970, and June 21, 1970, respectively. The remaining experiments
continued operation until September 25, 1970, when the rear horizon scanner
failed. Without this horizon scanner, it was impossible to maintain proper
spacecraft attitude, thus making most experimental observations useless. All
spacecraft operations were terminated on January 22, 1972.
__________
Taken from the NSSDC System for Information Retrieval and Storage (SIRS). For
more information contact the NSSDC Coordinated Request and User Support Office,
301-286-6695 (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 933.4, Greenbelt, Maryland
20771, USA).
Nimbus-3 User's Guide.
Group: Platform_Details
Entry_ID: NIMBUS-3
Group: Platform_Identification
Platform_Category: Earth Observation Satellites
Platform_Series_or_Entity: NIMBUS
Short_Name: NIMBUS-3
End_Group
Group: Synonymous_Platform_Names
Short_Name: Nimbus-B2
Short_Name: 03890
End_Group
Group: Platform_Associated_Instruments
Short_Name: NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROMETER
Short_Name: INFRARED RADIOMETERS
Short_Name: HRIR NIMBUS-3
End_Group
Group: Orbit
Orbit_Inclination: 99.91000366210938 degrees
Period: 107.4000015258789 minutes
Perigee: 1075.0 km
Apogee: 1135.0 km
Orbit_Type: GEO > Geosynchronous > Geostationary
End_Group
Creation_Date: 2007-10-11
Online_Resource: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1969-037A
Online_Resource: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/nimbus
Online_Resource: http://atmospheres.gsfc.nasa.gov/nimbus/
Sample_Image: http://library01.gsfc.nasa.gov/gdprojs/images/nimbus_iii.jpg
Group: Platform_Logistics
Launch_Date: 1969-04-14
Launch_Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA
Primary_Sponsor: USA/NASA
End_Group
End_Group (en)
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)
