Orbit Inclination: 100.3499984741211 Degrees
Period: 108 minutes
Perigee: 1103.0 km
Apogee: 1179.0 km
Orbit Type: GEO > Geosynchronous > Geostationary

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Nimbus-2 was launched in May 1966 and was the second in a series of
second-generation meteorological research-and-development satellites that was
designed to serve as a stabilized, earth-oriented ... platform for the testing of
advanced meteorological sensor systems and for collecting meteorological data.
The polar-orbiting spacecraft consisted of three major elements: (1) a sensory
ring, (2) solar paddles, and (3) the control system housing. The solar paddles
and the control system housing were connected to the sensory ring by a truss
structure, giving the satellite the appearance of an ocean buoy. Nimbus-2 was
nearly 3.7 m tall, 1.5 m in diameter at the base, and about 3 m across with
solar paddles extended. The sensory ring, which formed the satellite base,
housed the electronics equipment and battery modules. The lower surface of the
torus-shaped sensory ring provided mounting space for sensors and telemetry
antennas. An H-frame structure mounted within the center of the torus provided
support for the larger experiments and tape recorders. Mounted on the control
system housing, which was located on top of the spacecraft, were sun sensors,
horizon scanners, gas nozzles for attitude control, and a command antenna. Use
of a stabilization and control system permitted the spacecraft's orientation to
be controlled to within plus or minus 1 degree for all three axes (pitch, roll,
and yaw).
The spacecraft carried an advanced vidicon camera system for recording and
storing remote cloudcover pictures, an automatic picture transmission camera
for providing real-time cloudcover pictures, and both high- and
medium-resolution infrared radiometers (HRIR and MRIR) for measuring the
intensity and distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted by and
reflected from the earth and its atmosphere. The spacecraft and experiments
performed normally after launch until July 26, 1966, when the spacecraft tape
recorder failed. Its function was taken over by the HRIR tape recorder until
November 15, 1966, when it also failed. Some real-time data were collected
until January 17, 1969, when the spacecraft mission was terminated owing to
deterioration of the horizon scanner used for earth reference.
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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).
Nimbus-2 Users' Guide.

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1966-040A
http://nasascience.nasa.gov/missions/nimbus
http://atmospheres.gsfc.nasa.gov/nimbus/