 |
| TIROS-1 launch cover with Sarzin cachet. |
(Reference from TIROS-1)
1960-04-01 USA Tiros 1
TIROS-1 was the first full-scale weather satellite (the Vanguard 2 satellite was the first experimental/prototype weather satellite) , the first of a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites placed in low-Earth orbit.
The TIROS Program was NASA's first experimental step to determine if satellites could be useful in the study of the Earth. At that time, the effectiveness of satellite observations was still unproven. Since satellites were a new technology, the TIROS Program also tested various design issues for spacecraft: instruments, data and operational parameters. The goal was to improve satellite applications for Earth-bound decisions, such as "should we evacuate the coast because of the hurricane?". The TIROS-1 Program's first priority was the development of a meteorological satellite information system. Weather forecasting was deemed the most promising application of space-based observations.
(Reference from TIROS-1)
(Reference from TIROS-1)
