NOAA 13, a USA meteorological spacecraft, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base by an Atlas-E rocket. It carried instruments to monitor atmosphere and clouds; also on board were instruments to monitor energetic electrons and protons. It has relaying capability for data gathered from floating buoys, balloons, and remote ground stations. There have been no radio communications with the spacecraft since August 21, 1993, because of failure of power from the solar panels to the instruments. Initial orbital parameters are period 102 min, apogee 876 km, perigee 860 km, and inclination 98.9 km.
NOAA-I continues the third-generation operational, polar orbiting, meteorological satellite series operated by the National Environmental Satellite Service (NESS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-I continues the series of Advanced TIROS-N (ATN) spacecraft begun with the launch of NOAA-8 (NOAA-E) in 1983.
NOAA-I is in an afternoon equator-crossing orbit and was intended to replace the NOAA-11 (NOAA-H) as the prime afternoon spacecraft. The goal of the NOAA/NESS polar orbiting program is to provide output products used in meteorological prediction and warning, oceanographic and hydrologic services, and space environment monitoring. The polar orbiting system complements the NOAA/NESS geostationary meteorological satellite program (GOES).
Alternate Names
Advanced TIROS-N (ATN)
NOAA-I
POES
Facts in Brief
Launch Date: 1993-08-09
Launch Vehicle: Atlas E
Launch Site: Vandenberg AFB, United States
Mass: 1421.0 kg
Nominal Power: 330.0 W