Nimbus 2

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General

Designation	02173 / 66040A
Launch date	15 May 1966
Country of origin	United States
Mission	Meteorology
Perigee/Apogee	1090/1174 km
Inclination	100.6°
Period	108 min
Launch vehicle	Thor Agena B
Launch site	Vandenberg

The project objectives were to provide global weather photography on a 24-hour basis for meteorological research and operational use, and provide infrared data for study of earth's heat balance.

Four sensor systems weighing a total of 142 pounds were carried. The advanced vidicon camera system (AVCS) included three 1-inch cameras with 800-line resolution designed to photograph a 800,000 square mile area. A high resolution infrared radiometer provided time and was expected to yield a variety of geophysical and atmospheric data including cloud height information.

Technical data

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Specifications

Prime contractor
Platform
Mass at launch	414 kg
Mass in orbit
Dimension	1.45 m diameter x 3 m length
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power
Design lifetime

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