nimbus-f press kit

8/8/2019 Nimbus-F Press Kit

1/25

National Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationWashington. D.C. 20546AC 202 755-8370

?6- /For Release:SUNDAY,June 8, 1975

PROJECT: NIMBUS-FContents

GENERAL RELEASE ....................................................... . 1-7NIMBUS-F SPACECRAFT & EXPERIMENTS ............................ 7ANIMBUS PROGRAM HISTORY AND RESULTS......................... 8

Nimbus-l .............................................. 8-9Nimbus-2 ....... ............. ........................ ... 9Nimbus-3 .... ............................... ,.. .. ... 9Nimbus-4 ........................... . .. . .. . .. . . 10Nimbus-5 .......................... . . . . . . . . . . 10

THE NIMBUS-F SPACECRAFT........... 11THE INSTRUMENTS .. ...................1............... ...

Earth Radiation Budget................................. 11Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer ............ 11-12High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder .... ... 12Limb Radiance Inversion Radiometer ........ ... 12Pressure Modulated Radiometer ......................... 12Scanning Microwave Spectrometer....... 12Tracking and Data Relay. .................................. 12Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer 13Tropical Wind, Energy Conversion and Reference Level... 13

GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH PROGRAM......................... 13-14DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE........................................ 15LAUNCH OPEP.ATICNS ............ 4..4 ..........44.. . . 15-16LAUNCH EVENTS ......................444 44...... ........ .... 17SEQUENCE OF ORBIT EVENTS.................................. 18

-more-


2/25

National Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationWashington D C 20546AC 202 755-8370

Fo.r ReleaseHoward Allaway SUNDAYHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. June 8, 1975(Phone: 202/755-8617)Don WittenGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.(Phone: 301/982-4955)

RELEASE NO: 75-145

NIMBUS-F TO CARRY ADVANCED WEATHER INSTRUMENTSThe most sophisticated package of meteorological

research instruments ever developed will be launched aboardNASA's Nimbus-F spacecraft from the Western Test Range nearLompoc, Calif., about June 11.

Data collected by the nine instruments will help inthe development of numerical models of the atmosphere forthe international Global Atmospheric Research Program(GARP),

"Numerical models of the atmosphere eventually will helpus to increase the accuracy of weather forecasts from oneday to several weeks," said John Theon, '.!imbus-F projectscientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,Md.

-more-May 15, 1975


3/25

I I I

-2-From the launch of the first Nimbus in 1964, the

capability of this series of spacecraft has evolved fromobservations in the visible and infrared areas to virtuallythe entire electromagnetic spectrum.

The synoptic sensor data provided by the Numbus-F andother meteorological satellites offer many potential benefitsto man. Long-range weather predictions, according to aconservative estimate by the National Academy of Sciences,could save more than $2 billion annually.

The 827-kilogram (1,823-pound) Nimbus-F will be launchedaboard a two-stage Delta launch vehicle into a near-polar,circular orbit at 1,110 kilometers (690 miles) altitude.Measurements with the spacecraft's nine experiments will bemade twice a day over every point on Earth -- once at aboutnoon and again at about midnight, local times.

A mid-June launch of Nimbus-F will be in time forparticipation in the checkout and evaluation of the datasystems to be used in the GARP's first worldwide experimentscheduled for 1978-79.

-more-


4/25

II IvOPERATIONS CONTROL AND TRACKING ........................... 18-19PROGRAM OFFICIALS ................. .a. , 20MAJOR CONTRACTORS ...................... .,. ....... 21-22

-more-

It


5/25

! I 1

-3-

Established as the research arm of the World WeatherProgram, GARP has two major objectives: (1) to improveunderstanding of the atmospheric processes involved in theweather; and (2) to improve the observing and computingsystems used for weather analyses, aiming toward longer andmore reliable predictions.

The 1978-79 experiment will also Jnvolve fivegeosynchronous orbiting spacecraft including NASA's SynchronousMeteorological Satellites and similar satellites supplied byJapan, the Soviet Union and the European Space ResearchOrganization to provide Lull-Earth, cloud-cover photos andto relay data from the polar-orbiting spacecraft. More than2" countries have volunteered supplementary facilities for,use in the experiment.

A Tracking and Data Relay (T&DR) experiment carried bythe Nimbus-F will demonstrate the capability of trackingand relaying data from a low-altitude, polar-orbitingspacecraft to the ground using a geosynchronous satellite asa communications relay. NASA's Applications Technology

Satellite-6 (ATS-6) will be the velay spacecraft.

-more-


6/25

-4-Meteorological data on the subtropics for the GARP

will be collected primarily by Nimbus-FIs High ResolutionTemperature Sounder (HIRS) and the Scanning MicrowaveSpectrometer (SCAMS). Both systems will produce complimentarytemperature soundings to be used in describing the state ofthe atmosphere outside the tropics.

A Tropical Wind, Energy Conversion and Reference LevelExperiment (TWERLE) will provide data on the tropicsto complete the global coverage for GARP. In this experiment,super--pressure balloons, designed to float at about the20-km (65,600-ft.) leve3, will send temperature, pressure,altitude and wind information to Nimbus-F for relay to aground control station. In addition to U.S. investigations,12 foreign TWERLE experiments will be coordinated by scientistsfrom Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Norway, South Africaand the United Kingdom.

TWERLE also will relay information from drifting buoys,including data on ocean currents, surface conditions, surfacewinds, temperature and pressure. Temperatures also will bemeasured down to a depth of about 100 meters (325 feet).

I


7/25

-5-The Nimbus-F instruments will provide high-altitude

temperature sounding data. These are the Limb RadianceInversion Radiometer (LRIR) and the Pressure Modulated Radio-meter (PMR). The LRIR will provide extended temperatureprofiles up to 70 kin (42 mi.) with a 2-km (6,500-ft.)resolution. Previous Nimbus experiments of this type werelimited to a 10-km (6-mi.) resolution with a 45-km (35-mi.)altitude limit.

Other meteorological instruments carried by Nimbus-Finclude:* Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) which will provide data

for establishing Earth's atmospheric radiation balanceto a precision never before achievedo Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR),

designed to map the liquia water content of clouds,ocean rainfall and the distribution and variationof sea ice cover as well as other surface features* Temperature, Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) whichprovides data on cloud cover, ground temperatures andwater vapor distribution

The Nimbus satellite program was initiated by NASA in1960 to develop an observatory system capable of meeting theresearch and development needs of the nation's atmosphericand Earth sciences program.

-more-


8/25

-6.-The first spacecraft was launched in 1964. In the

intervening years the project has matured to become thenation's principal satellite program for remote-sensingresearch. Each observatory has grown significantly insophistication, complexity, weight, capability and performance.

Nimnbus-F is the seventh spacecraft in a series ofeight approved in the program. All the satellites have metor exceeded their mission objectives except Nimbus-B, whichnever achieved orbit because of a launch vehicle failure.

The Nimbus program is umnaged by NASA's Office ofApplications, Washington, D.C. NASA's Goddard Space FlightCenter, Greenbelt, Md., is responsible for the spacecraft,the launch vehicle and +-he global network for tracking thesatellite and two-way communications with it.

Launch site operations are managed by the NASA KennedySpace Center's Unmanned Launch Operations Division.

General Electric Co., Space Systems Organization, ValleyForge, Pa., is the Nimbus prime contractor. McDonnellDouglas Astronautics Company, Huntington Beach, Calif., isprime contractor for the Delta launch vehicle.

-more-


9/25

More than 50 major subsystem contractors are responsiblefor various components in the spacecraft, launch vehicle, orground receiving equipment. In addition, there are morethan 1,000 subcontractors and vendors working on the program.

The Nimbus-F spacecraft and instruments cost about$60 million; the Delta launch vehicle about $4.6 million.

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)

-more-


10/25

I ;-7A-

TRACKING AND DATA RELAY

I ELECTRICALLY SCANNINGI MICROWAVE RADIOMETERLIMB RADIANCEINVERSION RADIOMETER

SCANNING MICROWAVE SPECTROMETER TEMPERATURE HUMIDITYINFRARED RADIOMETEREARTH RADIATION BUDGET EXPERIMENT

U MHIGH RESOLUTION TEMPERATURE SOUNDERPRESSURE MODULATED RADIOERTROPICAL WIND, ENERGY C'!NVERSIONAND REFERENCE LEVEL EXPERIMENT

NIMBUS-F SPACECRAFT& EXPERIMENTS-more-


11/25

-8-NIMBUS PROGRAM HISTORY AND RESULTS

The Nimbus satellite program was initiated by NASA earlyin 1960. The goal of the program is to develop an observatorysystem capable of meeting the research and development needsof the nation's atmospheric and earth scientists. This goalincluded a requirement to provide global surveillance of theatmospheric structure at low Earth-orbital altitudes for theworld's weather services.In the intervening years, the project has become thenation's principal satellite program for remote-sensingresearch. Each observatory has grown significantly in com-plexity, weight, capability and performance. The basic space-craft system has worked so well, in fact, that NASA patternedits LANDSAT Earth resources survey spacecraft after the Nimbus.All Nimbus spacecraft are launched from the Western TestRange near Lompoc, Calif., because of the requirement for aSun-synchronous orbit which permits the spacecraft to viewthe same areas of the globe under similar lighting conditions.Altitude for the Nimbus circular orbit is 1,110 km (690 mi.).

Nimbus-1Carrying three instruments, Nimbus-l was launched into

orbit on Aug. 28, 1964. A short second burn of stage twoof the launch vehicle placed the spacecraft into an eccentricorbit ranging in altitude from 932 to 422 km (579 to 262 mi.).Despite this orbit, the spacecraft became fully operationalshortly after orbit insertion.Nimbus-l worked for about one month before it stoppedoperating due to a failure of the solar array drive system,which is a major part of the satellite's power system. Duringits lifetime, it proved that a weather satellite could main-tain three-axis stability and Earth orientation. It providedman with the first high-resolution television and infraredweather photos from a satellite.The spacecraft photographed Hurricane Cleo during itsfirst day in orbit and later took exceptionally clear photos ofHurricane Dora and Typhoon Ruby. On the basis of photostaken by Nimbus-l,Mount Siple (a 10,000 ft.-high mountain inthe Antarctic used by pilots as a navigational aid) was repo-sitioned on relief maps 45 miles farther west.

-more-


12/25

I !I

-9-

Nimbus-i photos also indicated that a mountain groupthought to be in the Kohler Range did not really exist.Ii n addition, its pictures provided experimenters with a muchbetter definition of the formation of the Antarctic ice frontin the Filchner Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea and Princess MarthaCoast area.

Nimbus-2Nimbus-2, carrying four instruments, was launched intoa near-perfect orbit on May 15, 1966. While the designlifetime of the spacecraft was six months (about 2,500 orbits),the mission was finally terminated during orbit 13,029 onJan. 17, 1969, after almost 33 months of operation.During the first day in orbit, Nimbus-2 photographed

Typhoon Irma in the Philippine Islands. It also located andtracked Hurricanes Alma, Dora,and Faith and numerous otherstorms throughout the world. Nimbus-2 was the first satelliteto measure Earth's heat balance. Physicists hope the studyof this data will unlock some of the mystery of weather andstorm development and dissipation. Cameras on board Nimbus-2tracked Hurricane Alma from its birth to death and HurricaneFaith as it first boiled up as a tropical storm off the westcoast of Africa. Nimbus-2 transmitted data that will serveto form the mathematical models for future weather forecasting.(Another Nimbus was launched on May 18, 1968, but becauseof a guidance failure on the launch rocket, the mission wasaborted.)

Nimbus-3Nimbus-3 was successfully launched April 14, 1969. Thespacecraft carried seven meteorological instruments plus atwo-unit nuclear isctopic system for generating electricalpower, the Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP-19),developed by the Atomic Energy Commission.At the end of its design lifetime of six months, Nimbus-3was transmitting data from all its experiments. The spacecraftremained in orbit two years and nine months.Of particular interest to meteorologists was the successof the infrared experiments in measuring emitted infraredenergy, thus permitting global determination or, the atmosphere'svertical temperature, water vapor, and ozone distribution.The U.S. Nat.ional Weather Service used this data in co'nnectionwith short-term and long-term weather forecasting.

-more-


13/25


14/25

J .I, J a

THE NIMBUS-F SPACECRAFT

Nimbus-F is similar in design to the previous sixspacecraft of this type. In its orbit configuration, it isa butterfly-shaped device measuring about 3 meters (10 feet)tall by about 2 m (5 ft.) wide.The major service subsystems and experiments arehoused in a circular structure on the bottom of the spacecraft.A three-axis attitude control subsystem included in thesesubsystems keeps the sensors pointed toward Earth with anaccuracy of better than one degree about all axes.Two solar paddles, which automatically unfold after thespacecraft is separated from the launch vehicle, track thesun during daylight operation and convert its energy intospacecraft power. The spacecraft will require about 550 wattsof peak power for operation.Spacecraft and experiment data are handled by aversatile information processor and either transmitted toEarth immediately or stored on a high-speed tape recorder forsubsequent playback when the spacecraft is in full view of adata acquisition station.

THE INSTRUMENTS

The Nimbus-F carries nine instruments. These are designedto advance man's scientific knowledge of his environment inthe areas of meteorology, oceanography and Earth-surfacephenomena.Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) (Dr. W. Smith, NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Rockville, Md., andDr. J.R. Hickey, Eppley Laboratory, Newport, R.I.,experimenters.)Measures the solar radiation impinging upon Earth as wellas the angular distribution of outgoing planetary radiation todetermine regional and global heat balance. This will providedata for new research areas in numerical weather analysis andeventually help improve long-range forecast accuracies. Thesedata also will be used for defining climatological models.Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR)

(Dr. T.T. Wilheit, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,Md.)

-more-\ t w &


15/25

I .-12-

Improved version of Nimbus.E instrument using dualpolarization for mapping liquid-water content of clouds, dis-tribution and variation of sea ice cover and gross characteris-tics of land surfaces, such as vegetation, soil moisture andsnow cover.

High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HRIRS),(A.W. McCulloch, NASA Goddard, Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,Md., Dr. W. Smith, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admini-stration, Rockville, Md.).Uses 17 channels to measure Earth's emitted radiances,as well as reflected solar radiation, with high spatialresolution and provide global vertical temperature and water-vapor profiles in the presence of clouds up to 40 km (25 mi.).Limb Radiance Inversion Radiometer (LRIR)

(J.C. Gille, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder,Colo.).Uses multichannel infrared radiometer to scan the limbof Earth with an attitude reference unit to measure stratos-pheric temperature structure and to determine water vapor andozone density distributions. Geostropic winds will be calcu-lated from temperature measurements.Pressure Modulated Radiometer (PMR) (Dr. J.T. Houghton,Oxford University, England).Utilizes a pressure modulation technique to obtainradiometric temperature measurements in the upper stratosphereand mesosphere.Scanning Microwave Spectrometer (SCAMS) (Dr. D. Staelin,Massacnusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.,F. Barath, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.).A microwave vertical-profile radiometer for mappingtropospheric temperature profiles, water vapor abundance andcloud water content even in the presence of many types of clouds.Tracking and Data Relay (T&DR) F.O. Vonbun, NASA GoddardSpace Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.).Will be used to investigate the extent to which it ispossible to establish the Nimbus-F orbit using data acquiredby a geosynchronous relay satellite and to demonstrate thetechnology of command and telemetry data transmission betweena low-altitude satellite and a ground station via a geosyn-chronous satellite communications relay.

-more-

----


16/25

-13-

Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR)(A.W. McCulloch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,Md.).Measures the infrared radiation from Earth in twospectral bands during day and night portions of the orbit.These data will provide pictures of the cloud cover, three-dimensional maps of the cloud cover and temperature mapsof the clouds, land and ocean surfaces, including cirrus cloudcontent, contamination, and relative humidity.Tropical Wind, Energy Conversion and Reference Level

(TWERLE) (Dr. P. Julian, National Center for Atmospheric Re-search, Boulder, Colo., C. Cote, NASA Goddard Space FlightCenter, Greenbelt, Md., and Dr. V. Suomi, University ofWisconsin, Madison, Wis.).Monitors location and collection of data from balloon-borne sensor packages above the ocean surface in conjunctionwith the Global Atmospheric Research Program. The balloonmotions and sensors will provide data on large-scale atmos-pheric motion, upper tropospheric interactions and asouthern hemispheric radiance level.

GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH PROGRAM (GARP)

The Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) is aninternational effort to enhance the understanding of , andability to predict, weather. It is jointly directed by theWorld Meteorological Organization and the International Councilof Scientific Unions.This well organized cooperative program has as its mainthesis the concept that satellite and surface observations canbe used in mathematical models of the atmosphere to achieve amajor improvement in the quality and duration of weather fore-casts. Accurate forecasts extending one and perhaps two weeksare believed achievable. The First GARP Global Experiment

(FGGE), a major international experiment to test this thesis,is planned for 1978 and 1979.FGGE will be the largest and most complex internationalcooperative space effort yet undertaken. It will involve fivegeosynchronous satellites launched by the European SpaceResearch Organization, Japan, the Soviet Union and the UnitedStates. More than 20 countries have volunteered supplementaryfacilities for use in FGGE.

-more-


17/25

-14-

In preparing for FGGE, NASA and other government agenciesand universities have undertaken a large scale test of themajor elements involved. The test is called the Data SystemTests (DST) and involves supplementing conventional weatherdata and operational satellite observing systems with researchand development systems as they become available. It includesprocessing all available data in near real time and utilizingthese data in numerical forecast models for feedback toimprove the observational and data management systems. TheDST will be underway for the period 1974-76.

Data from the Nimbus-F experiments and particularlyfrom its atmospheric sounding instruments, will play a majorrole in the DST.

During the DST tests run in May 1974, temperatureprofiles obtained from Nimbus-5 and wind information derivedfrom the Applications Technology Satellite-3 cloud imageswere used to augment data from operational satellites andconventional sources to produce a first full global analysis innear real time.This analysis used new techniques whose develop-ment was accelerated for this test. The full global analysispermits the study of northern and southern inter-hem'isphereinteractions, a necessary step toward meeting the GARP goalof weather forecast improvement.Both theoretical studies and numerical experimentationhave demonstrated a critical need for direct wind measurements

with high accuracy at various altitudes in the equatorial zone.The World Weather Watch surface-based network provides onlyabout 20 per cent of the necessary coverage. For the remainingareas, a combination of ships and carrier balloon systems,capable of deploying windfinding sondes, is planned for FGGE.A prototype system has been developed to obtain meteorologicalwind data from balloons on command.The meteorological satellite data available in 1975,particularly when supplemented by that obtained from Nimbus-F,should provide the best description of atmospheric processesavailable to date. These data will be utilized in the GARP DataSystem Test. One-to-two-month periods will be selected for

near real time data analysis and forecasting research studiesto test out the procedures, techniques and operations requiredfor the First GARP Global Experiment and to estimate the fore-casting improvements to be realized. Extensive use of thesedata will be made in numerical forecasting models by NASA andother cooperating agencies.

-more-

. . .. -


18/25

l l l. l l-'I

-15-

DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE

Nimbus-F will be launched by an improved two-stage DeltaLaunch Vehicle, managed for NASA by its Goddard Space FlightCenter, Greenbelt, Md. The launch vehicle is Delta 2910.To date, the Delta has launched 110 payloads and has a90 per cent success record.The 36 m (116 ft.) tall Delta consists of a liquid-fuelMcDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. extended-long-tank Thorbooster, incorporating nine Thiokol strap-on Castor II solid-fuel rocket motors and a TRW Corp. liquid-fuel second stage.

Maximum girth of the 113,400 kg (250,000 lb.) Delta is 2.44tm(8 ft.) not including the strap-on motors.An all-inertial guidance system, consisting of an inertialsensor package and digital guidance computer, controls thevehicle and sequence of operations from liftoff to spacecraftseparation. A sensor package provides vehicle attitude andacceleration information to the guidance computer, whichgenerates vehicle steering commands to each stage. Thesystem thus corrects trajectory deviations by comparing com-puted position and velocity against prestored values.In addition the guidance computer performs the functions

of timing and staging as well as issuing pre-programmedattitude rates during the coast phases.

LAUNCH OPERATIONS

NASA launch operations from its West Coast facility aremanaged by the Kennedy Space Center's Unmanned Launch OperationsWestern Launch Operations Division (WLOD). This facility islocated at Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Lompoc, Calif.,approximately 125 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 280 milessouth of San Francisco. Launch facilities are located on apromontory which juts into the Pacific Ocean near PointArguello, making it possible to launch to the south to placepayloads into polar orbit without overflying populated areas.Nimbus-F will be launched from Space Launch Complex 2West, which has been extensively updated over the years toaccept the various Delta configurations, including the powerfulnew version now in use.

-more-


19/25

-16-

KSC personnel are permanently assigned at WLOD andsupplemented by a management and technical group from KSCin Florida during final preparations and the launch countdown.

Preparations for the launch of Nimbus-F began with thearrival of the Delta first stage. Significant milestonessince that date include first stage erection on the pad,installation of the nine solid strap-on rocket motors aroundthe base of the first stage, inter-stage mating and secondstage mating.A "boilerplate" spacecraft was mated with Delta 2910and the payload fairing was installed. A series of testsconducted included removal of the mobile service tower and

spacecraft radio frequency line checks.The flight spacecraft was scheduled to arrive at theSpacecraft Laboratory about May 20 to undergo prelaunch checks.The "boilerplate" spacecraft was to be removed and Nimbus-Fwill be moved to the pad for mating with the Delta on June 4.

-more-


20/25

-17-LAUNCH EVENTS

Time (sec.)Liftoff 0Solid booster burnout 39Eject Solid booster motors 85First stage main engine cutoff (MECO) 220First stage vernier engine cutoff (VECO) 226First stage/second stage separation 228Second stage first ignition 233Shroud separation 266Second stage first cutoff 544Second stage second ignition 3425Second stage second cutoff 3438Start second stage pitchup maneuver 3488Stop second stage pitchup maneuver 3584Nimbus separation 3637Start second stage retro 3639Second stage third ignition 4600Second stage third cutoff 4605Second stage fourth ignition 5560Second stage fourth cutoff 5568

-more-


21/25

-18-SEQUENCE OF ORBIT EVENTS

Once in orbit, Nimbus-F will be stabilized and orientedso the onboard sensors will best view Earth directly beneaththe spacecraft. During the initial orbits, systematic turn-onand checkout of the spacecraft subsystems will be commandedfrom the Nimbus operation control center (OCC) at GoddardSpace Flight Center. Simultaneously orbital informationobtained from NASA's Space Tracking and Data Network (STDN),also managed and controlled by Goddard, will be used todetermine the precise orbit.Next, required orbital adjustments will be determinedand executed by the Nimbus OCC to establish the precise orbitfor the systematic ground coverage by the spacecraft'ssensors. With the initial orbital correction and checkoutphase complete, Nimbus-F will be commanded to begin its firstyear of normal operations.Gross scheduling of the experiments will be performedin the operations control center for each 18-day cycle. Moredetailed operations will be planned for each forthcoming week,day and orbit. Real time sensor operations will be commandedover the prime observations areas of the North American con-tinent within direct view of one of tne primary Nimbus dataacquisition stations located at Fairbanks, Alaska; Goldstone,Calif; and Goddard.

OPERATIONS CONTROL AND TRACKING

The spacecraft management and command sequence will begenerated in the Nimbus Technical Control Center (NTCC) atNASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Respon-sibility for spacecraft evaluation and command operationswill be alternated between Goddard and the Fairbanks,Alaska, station of the Spacecraft Tracking and Data Network(STDN). Both the Goddard and Alaska facilities will be online during each spacecraft interrogation. In case of anyinterruption in the communication line between these twofacilities, Alaska will assume responsibility for normalspacecraft operation.

Data will be collected and commands sent via the STDNstations at Alaska, Rosman, N.C.; Wjinkfield, England; andOrroral Valley, Australia, during normal operations. Inemergency situations and during spacecraft activation shortlyafter launch, the Johannesburg, South Africa station willre.'.ay commands and data between the spacecraft and Goddardor Alaska. The Tananacrive, Republic of M1a'agasy, stserve as a back-up to Johannesburg.

-more----


22/25

-19-

The objectives of the first day after launch are todetermine the fundamental operation of the spacecraft and toactivate the sensors. For the second day, controllers willcontinue spacecraft assessment, establish management ofspacecraft power and thermal control systems. The full com-plement of sensors will be activated over a period of severalweeks after which time sensor data will be distributedroutinely.

-more-

AlI


23/25

! IPS 14 _ l !

-20-

PROGRAM OFFICIALS

NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.Charles W. Mathews Associate Administrator forApplicationsWilliam E. Stoney Director of Earth ObservationsProgramsHarry Mannheimer Nimbus Program ManagerDouglas R, Broome, Jr. Nimbus Payload ManagerDr. Robert A. Schiffer Nimbus Program ScientistDr. Noel W, Hinners Associate Administratorfor Space ScienceJoseph B. Mahon Director of Launch Vehicleand Propulsion ProgramsI.T. Gillam IV Manager of Small LaunchVehicle and International

Programs

P.T. Eaton Delta Program Maiiager

-more-

- A


24/25

-21-Goddard Space Flight enter, Greenbelt, Md.Dr. John F. Clark DirectorRobert N. Lindley Director of ProjectsHarry Press Chief of Meteorological

Program OfficeDon V. Fordyce Project ManagerJohn S. Theon Project ScientistGeorge D. Hogan Deputy Project Manager forEngineeringJ. Edward Baden Deputy Project Manager forResourcesRobert C. Baumann Associate Director of Projectsfor DeltaRalph B. Shapiro Flight Operations ManagerJoseph Arlauskas Sensor Systems ManagerJames Taylor Spacecraft Manager

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.Lee R. Scherer DirectorJohn J. Neilon Director of Unmanned Launch

OperationsHenry R. Van Goey Manager, KSC Western LaunchOperations Div.Wilmer "Bud" Thacker Chief, Delta Operations,

Launch Vehicle EngineeringBranch

Gene Schlimmer Chief, Spacecraft and SupportOperations BranchGene Langenfeld Nimbus-F Spacecraft

Coordinator

-more-


25/25

-22-

MAJOR CONTRACTORS

SpacecraftGeneral Electric Co. Prime ContractorSpace Systems Organization Nimbus-F Integration and TestValley Forge, Pa. Stabilization and Control

Subsystem Integration,Spacecraft Structures andAntennas

Nimbus-F InstrumentsEarth Radiation Budget Gulton IndustriesExperiment (ERB) Albuquerque, N.M.Electrically Scanning Micro- Space Generalwave Radiometer Experiment Division of Aerojet General(ESMR) El Monte, Calif.High Resolution Infrared International Telephone &Radiation Sounder Experiment Telegraph(HRIRS) Fort Wayne, Ind.Limb Radiance Inversion Honeywell Radiation CenterRadiometer (LRIR) Boston, Mass.Pressure Modulated Radiometer Rutherford LaboratoryExperiment (PMR) Berkshire, England

Marconi S&DS Ltd.,Surrey, EnglandScanning Microwave Spectro- Jet Propulsion Laboratorymeter Experiment (SCAMS) Pasadena, Calif.Tracking and Data Relay Ball BrothersExperiment (T&DRE) Boulder, Colo.Temperature-Humidity Infrared General ElectricRadiometer Experiment Santa Barbara Research Center

Santa Barbara, Calif.Tropical Wind Energy Texas InstrumentsConversion and Reference Dallas, Tex.Level (TWERLE)

40%.ATIo 4

nimbus-f press kit

Documents