NOAA-5

Launch of ITOS-H. This became NOAA 5 after becoming operational.
Mission type	Weather
Operator	NOAA / NASA
COSPAR ID	1976-077A[1]
SATCAT no.	9057[2]
Mission duration	2 years and 11 months
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	RCA Astrospace
Launch mass	336 kilograms (741 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	July 29, 1976, 17:07 (1976-07-29UTC17:07Z) UTC[3]
Rocket	Delta-2310 605/D126
Launch site	Vandenberg SLC-2W
End of mission
Disposal	Decommissioned
Deactivated	July 16, 1979 (1979-07-17)[4]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth Sun-synchronous
Semi-major axis	7,894 kilometers (4,905 mi)
Eccentricity	0.009562
Perigee altitude	1,515.7 kilometers (941.8 mi)
Apogee altitude	1,530.8 kilometers (951.2 mi)
Inclination	101.8785°
Period	116.2 minutes
RAAN	155.0105 degrees
Argument of perigee	309.9627 degrees
Mean anomaly	161.3050 degrees
Mean motion	12.3775781
Epoch	June 28, 2018[2]
Revolution no.	89456
Instruments
SPM, SR, VHRR, VTPR
ITOS ← NOAA-4 TIROS-N TIROS-N program →

NOAA-5, also known as ITOS-H was a weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was part of a series of satellites called ITOS, or improved TIROS, being the last of the series.^[5] NOAA-5 was launched on a Delta rocket on July 29, 1976.^[6]

NOAA-5 was one in a series of improved TIROS-M type satellites launched with new meteorological sensors on board to expand the operational capacity of the ITOS (NOAA) system. The primary objectives of the NOAA-5 meteorological satellite were to provide global daytime and nighttime direct readout cloud cover data on a daily basis. The Sun-synchronous spacecraft was capable of supplying global atmospheric temperature soundings and very high resolution infrared cloudcover data of selected areas in either a direct readout or a tape recorder mode. A secondary objective was to obtain global solar proton density data on a routine daily basis. The primary sensors consisted of a very high resolution radiometer (VHRR), a vertical temperature profile radiometer (VTPR), and a scanning radiometer (SR). The VHRR, VTPR, and SR were mounted on the satellite baseplate with their optical axes directed vertically earthward. The nearly cubical spacecraft measured 1 by 1 by 1.2 meters (3.3 ft × 3.3 ft × 3.9 ft). The satellite was equipped with three curved solar panels that were folded during launch and deployed after orbit was achieved. Each panel measured over 4.2 meters (14 ft) in length when unfolded and was covered with 3,420 solar cells, each measuring 2 by 2 centimeters (0.79 in × 0.79 in).

The ITOS dynamics and attitude control system maintained desired spacecraft orientation through gyroscopic principles incorporated into the satellite design. Earth orientation of the satellite body was maintained by taking advantage of the precession induced from a momentum flywheel so that the satellite body precession rate of one revolution per orbit provided the desired "earth looking" attitude. Minor adjustments in attitude and orientation were made by means of magnetic coils and by varying the speed of the momentum flywheel. The satellite was placed in a Sun-synchronous orbit with equatorial crossing of the ascending node near 08:30 A.M. local time.^[1]

• Nimbus program

• NOAA-5 Satellite Position

Media related to Improved TIROS Operational System at Wikimedia Commons