Engineering:ESSA-5

ESSA-5 prior to launch

Mosaic of Clouds from ESSA-5 satellite

ESSA-5 (or TOS-C) was a spin-stabilized operational meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA).

Launch

ESSA-5 was launched on April 20, 1967, at 11:17 UTC. It was launched atop a Delta rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base , California , U.S.. The spacecraft had a mass of 145 kilograms (320 lb) at the time of launch. ESSA-5 had an inclination of 101.9°, and an orbited the Earth once every 113.6 minutes. Its perigee was 1,361 kilometers (846 mi) and its apogee was 1,423 kilometers (884 mi).

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration document "ESSA 5".