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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 0117.PDF
INTERNATIONAL SATELLITE DIRECTORY boundaries, and will be calibrated by a laser retroreflector from ground ranging stations. The along-track sensor is a three-wavelength infrared radiometer able to measure sea surface and cloud top temperatures. Combined with this is a microwave sounder able to measure total atmospheric water vapour content and rainfall. Landsat Plans to commercialise operation of the US Landsat Earth-resources satellite have yet to be finalised, although the Hughes/RCA joint-venture Eosat has been nominated to assume eventual control of the programme from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Eosat's plans include the launch of two more Landsats in 1988 and 1991. Currently two Landsats are oper ating, Landsat 4 and its replacement, Landsat 5. Landsat 4 has lost two of its four solar panels, and the X-band trans mitter for its thematic mapper has failed. Nasa is investigating the possibility of a Shuttle Landsat repair mission in 1986. Payload multispectral scanner thematic mapper Owner National Oceanic and Atmos pheric Administration Manufacturer General Electric Orbit Sun-synchronous, 705km high, 98° inclined, 16-day repeat cycle Launch Landsat 4 Jul 1982 Delta 5 Mar 1984 Delta Stabilisation 3-axis Power (end of life) 0-8kW Weight (at launch) 1,940kg Design life 3 vears Cost $77m (1978)—Landsat 4 Remarks Landsat uses Nasa's multi- mission modular spacecraft bus, as used in Solar Max. The multispectral scanner operates in four visible and infrared spectral bands with an 80m resolution. The thematic mapper operates in seven narrower bands from blue-green to thermal infrared with a 30m resolution. Image transmissions is either direct or via Nasa's TDRS tracking and data relay satellite. Landsat makes use of the Navstar global positioning system. M0S-1 Japan's experimental Marine Obser vation Satellite MOS-1 is planned as the forerunner of an operational system in the 1990s. MOS-1 will concentrate on observ- *• ing the sea surface and the atmosphere, . but will also examine the techniques required for land observation. Japan plans > an Earth-resources satellite, JERS-1, f around 1990. MOS-1 will also carry an experimental data collection system tran- » sponder, forerunner of a TDRS-type . tracking and data relay satellite. ^** Payload Multispectral electronic self- «. scanning radiometer visible and thermal A infrared radiometer microwave scanning radiometer ' FLIGHT International, 12 January 1985 Owner Nasda Manufacturer Orbit Sun-synchronous, 909km high, 99-1° inclined, 17-day repeat cycle Launch by N-II mid-1986 Stabilisation 3-axis Weight (at launch) 750kg Design life 2 years Remarks The multispectral radiometer will determine sea-surface colour with a 50m resolution. The visible and thermal infrared radiometer will measure sea surface temperatures. The microwave radiometer will measure atmospheric water vapour content. Spot The Satellite Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre (Spot) is France's first Earth- resources spacecraft. Sweden and Belgium are participating in the pro gramme, which currently comprises two satellites, Spot 1 and its replacement Spot 2. Compared with Landsat's 30m resolu tion, Spot offers a best resolution of 10m. Data will be made commercially available through Toulouse-based Spot Image, which plans Spot derivatives for 1989 onwards with two additional mid-infrared sensor bands and four-year design lives. Spot forms the basis of the Samro military reconnaissance satellite, a pos sible Franco-German joint venture. Payload 2 high-resolution visible sensors Owner CNES Manufacturer Matra Orbit Sun-synchronous, 840km-high, 97-7° inclined, 26-day repeat cycle Launch Spot 1 Sep or Nov 1985 Ariane Spot 2 by Ariane in 1988 Stabilisation 3-axis Power (start of life) 1 • 2kW Weight (at launch) 1,750kg Design life 2 years minimum Remarks The three-colour high- resolution visible sensor provides 30m colour image resolution and 10m mono chrome image resolution. Two HRVs make possible steroscopic imaging. Spot can be programmed to acquire and image a particular area on successive cycles. Weather GMS-3 Also known as Himawari 3, Japan's GMS-3 is the third in a series of geo stationary meteorological satellites. The first, GMS, was brought out of retire ment early in 1984 when its replace ment GMS-2 suffered a scanning mirror malfunction. GMS was moved back to its parking place at 160°E after the launch of GMS-3 in August 1984. The GMS series was built by Hughes Aircraft, subcontractor Nippon Electric assuming the role of prime contractor for GMS-3a and its ground- based spare GMS-3b. Payload Visible and infrared spin-scan radiometer Owner Nasda Manufacturer Nippon Electric/Hughes Aircraft Orbit Geostationary Launch/location/status GMS-1 Jul 1977 Delta/160°E/retired GMS-2 Aug 1981 N-II/140°E/failed Jan 1984 GMS-3 Aug 1984 N-II/140°E/replaced GMS-2 Stabilisation Spin Power 0-3kW Weight (at launch) 680kg Design life 5 years Remarks Based on the Goes bus. The radiometer provides a 1 • 25km visible resolution and 5km infrared resolution. GMS-3 also carries a solar particle monitor. Goes The Geostationary Operational En vironmental Satellite (Goes) series is operated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in conjunction with its Tiros N craft in polar orbit. The operational system comprises three satellites, but the series has been plagued by sensor failures. Of the current Hughes-built series, Goes 4 failed in November 1982 and Goes 5 in July 1984. Of the initial series of Ford- built craft, Goes 1 is still operational providing only visible-wavelength cover. Until Goes 7 is launched in May 1986, Goes 1 and Goes 6 will be the only satellites available. Negotiations are underway for a further series of craft, called Goes-Next. Payload Visible/infrared spin-scan radiometer atmospheric sounder (VAS) Owner National Oceanic and Atmos pheric Administration Manufacturer Goes 1-3 Ford Aerospace Goes 4-8 Hughes Aircraft Orbit Geostationary Launch/loacation/status Goes 1 Oct 1975 Delta/131°W/visible only 4 Sep 1980 Delta/139°W/VAS failed Nov 1982 5 75°W/VAS failed Jul 1984 6 98°W/was at 135°W 7 May 1986 Delta/to replace Goes 5 8 Ground-based spare Stabilisation Spin Power (end of life) 0-3kW Weight (at launch) 840kg Design life 5 years Cost $100m (1984)—Goes 7 and 8 Remarks VAS is an improved version of the visible/infrared spin-scan radiometer fitted to Goes 1-3, the addition of a micro wave atmospheric sounder providing three-dimensional weather information. Goes 7 and 8 (G and H before launch) will carry the Sarsat search-and-rescue tran sponder.
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