NOAA-6 was launched in June 1979 and was a third generation
operational meteorological satellite for use in the National
Operational Environmental Satellite System (NOESS) and for the support
of the
... Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) during 1978-84. The
satellite design provided an economical and stable sun-synchronous
platform for advanced operational instruments to measure the earth's
atmosphere, its surface and cloud cover, and the near-space
environment. The satellite was based upon the Block 5D spacecraft bus
developed for the U.S. Air Force, and it was capable of maintaining an
earth-pointing accuracy of better than plus or minus 0.1 degree with a
motion rate of less than 0.035 degree/second.
Primary sensors included an Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
(AVHRR) and a TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS). Secondary
experiments consisted of a Space Environment Monitor (SEM) and a Data
Collection and Platform Location System (DCPLS). In early 1984, only
one to two NOAA-6 passes were taken per day due to priorities for
NOAA-7 and 8 data. However, when NOAA-8 failed in late June 1984,
NOAA-6 was returned to full operational status to continue to provide
morning orbit operational data.
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Taken from the NSSDC System for Information Retrieval and Storage (SIRS). For
more information contact the NSSDC Coordinated Request and User Support Office,
301-286-6695 (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 933.4, Greenbelt, Maryland
20771, USA, https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/).