Jun 23 1981
From The Space Library
A U.S. Air Force launch team from WSMC, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, launched NOAA-C under NASA direction from WSMC at 6:53 a.m EDT on an Atlas F into a polar orbit with 863-kilometer apogee, 845-kilometer perigee, 101.9-minute period, and 98.9° inclination. The 371-centimeter-high spacecraft, 188 centimeters in diameter weighing 723 kilograms in orbit, was fourth of eight advanced weather satellites to be launched in the Tiros-N series to measure Earth-atmosphere temperature and humidity, sea-surface temperature, and proton-electron flux near the Earth.
Designated NOAA 7 in orbit, the spacecraft with a two-year design life carried the most versatile scanning radiometer ever launched, gathering visual and infrared images and other measurements in five spectral channels. (Two earlier craft in the series carried four-channel radiometers: NOAA 6 was still operational, but Tiros N was turned off February 21 after operating for twice its design life.) NOAA 7 also carried a joint U.S. Air Force-NASA instrument to monitor in the spacecraft vicinity any environmental contamination from its propulsion systems; such contamination could degrade performance of future instruments planned for launch on similar satellites.
Successful launch of NOAA 7 meant that two polar-orbiting satellites would circle the Earth, viewing virtually all of its surface at least twice each 24 hours. NOAA routinely used data and imagery from the polar orbiters as well as from two geostationary spacecraft it was operating. NOAA 6 and NOAA 7 would transmit unprocessed sensor data in real time to ground stations in more than 120 nations, while passing overhead. Four more satellites in this series would be launched through 1985 on a call-up basis to ensure uninterrupted data flow.
NOAA 7 , built by RCA Astro-Electronics, under contract to GSFC, industry interface for NOAA, cost about $15 million to build and $7.5 million to launch. (NASA MOR E-615-81-03 prelaunch summary, June 2181; [prelaunch] June 9/81; NASA Release 8176; NASA wkly SSR, June 25/81; NASA Dly Am Rpt, June 24, 30/81; SPX-332)
The House of Representatives passed NASA's authorization bill by a vote of 404-13. The amount, the same that appeared in the amended budget request, was $6.122 billion for research and development, construction of facilities, and research and program management. One amendment was adopted, reducing the authorization for aeronautical research and technology by $11.2 million. (CR, June 23/81, D773; NASA Dly Am Rpt, June 24/81)
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