ESSA-8
Encyclopedia
ESSA-8 was a weather satellite
launched by NASA
on December 15, 1968. It operated for 2,644 days until it was deactivated on March 12, 1976. ESSA-8 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base
, CA.
ESSA-8 was an 18-sided polygon. It was 42 inches (1,066.8 mm) in diameter, 22 inches high, and weighed 290 pounds. It was made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel
covered with 10,020 solar cells. The cells charged 63 nickel-cadmium batteries which served as a power source. The satellite could take 8 to 10 pictures every 24 hours. Each photo covered a 2000 square miles (5,180 km²) area at a 2 mile per pixel resolution.
ESSA-8's mission was to replace ESSA-6, and provide detailed cloud pattern photography to ground stations worldwide. Partners in the project included the ASA
, ESSA
, RCA
, the US Weather Bureau, and the NMC
.
Weather satellite
The weather satellite is a type of satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be either polar orbiting, seeing the same swath of the Earth every 12 hours, or geostationary, hovering over the same spot on Earth by orbiting over the equator while...
launched by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
on December 15, 1968. It operated for 2,644 days until it was deactivated on March 12, 1976. ESSA-8 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
, CA.
ESSA-8 was an 18-sided polygon. It was 42 inches (1,066.8 mm) in diameter, 22 inches high, and weighed 290 pounds. It was made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
covered with 10,020 solar cells. The cells charged 63 nickel-cadmium batteries which served as a power source. The satellite could take 8 to 10 pictures every 24 hours. Each photo covered a 2000 square miles (5,180 km²) area at a 2 mile per pixel resolution.
ESSA-8's mission was to replace ESSA-6, and provide detailed cloud pattern photography to ground stations worldwide. Partners in the project included the ASA
ASA
- Organizations :* Acoustical Society of America* Advertising Standards Authority * African Studies Association* Aid to Southeast Asia, a non-governmental organization* Airline Superintendents Association of Trinidad & Tobago...
, ESSA
Essa
Essa may refer to:*Essa, Ontario,*an alternate stage name sometimes used by British rapper Yungun*Environmental Science Services Administration*Muhammad Essa, a Pakistani footballer*Economic Society of South Africa...
, RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
, the US Weather Bureau, and the NMC
NMC
NMC may refer to:* NMC Records, an Israeli record label and music company.* NMC Recordings, a record label and music company in the United Kingdom* National Meteorological Center, now the National Centers for Environmental Prediction...
.