TIROS-2

TIROS-2 was an 18-sided right prism, 107 cm in diameter and 56 cm high,[2] with 9,260[1] 1 by 2 cm silicon solar cells covered the top and sides. Five small directly opposed pairs of solid-fuel thrusters maintained a spin of 8 to 12 rpm.[2] For attitude control, the spacecraft used an infrared horizon sensor[1] and an magnetic attitude control device, made of 250 cores of wire wound around the outer surface, which oriented the spin axis to a 1 to 2 degree accuracy.[2] It also had a direction indicator for picture orientation.[1]

The satellite had two independent television camera subsystems, one low-resolution and one high-resolution, for taking pictures of cloud cover. Each camera had a magnetic tape recorder for storing photographs while out of range of the ground station network.[1] It also had a five-channel medium-resolution scanning radiometer and a two channel non-scanning low resolution radiometer for measuring radiation from the earth and atmosphere.[2]

TIROS-2 was launched on November 23, 1960 at 11:13:03 UTC, by a Thor-Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft functioned nominally until January 22, 1962. The satellite orbited the Earth once every 98 minutes, at an inclination of 48.5°. Its perigee was 609 kilometers (329 nmi) and apogee was 742 kilometers (401 nmi).

The spacecraft functioned nominally until January 22, 1961.

TIROS 2 added two infrared radiometers to TIROS 1 instruments, which allowed more analysis of frontal zones.[6]

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  Graphic of TIROS-2 orbital path and examples of data products.
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  TIROS-2 satellite atop of a Delta rocket during a mock countdown on Pad 17A
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  TIROS-2 satellite atop of launch vehicle, under hangar roof
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  Launch of TIROS-2 on November 23, 1960
• Universal Newsreel about the launching of the TIROS-2 satellite
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  Ice floes as seen in Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence by TIROS-2 on March 1961
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  Map of TIROS II infrared imagery with accompanying cloud analysis