Lacy, J.

Mccormack, D.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Washington. DC. 20546
AC 202 755-8370
For Release
Press Kit
RELEASE NO: 77-230
PrOJ6Ct Meteosat
Contents
GENERAL RELEASE 1-8
METEOSAT LAUNCH PROFILE 9
DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE 10
STRAIGHT EIGHT DELTA FACTS AND FIGURES 11-12
LAUNCH OPERATIONS 13
TYPICAL LAUNCH SEQUENCE FOR METEOSAT/DELTA 136..... 14
DELTA 136/METEOSAT TEAM 15-16
CONTRACTORS 16
Mailed:
November 1, 1977
Onclas
00/15 53240
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19780070080 2020-03-22T01:51:59+00:00Z
IWNSANews
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Washington. DC. 20546
AC 202 755-8370
For Release:
Dick McCormack
Headquarters, Washington, B.C. IMMEDIATE
(Phone: 202/755-8583)
James Lacy
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/982-4955)
RELEASE NO: 77-230
NASA TO LAUNCH METEOSAT IN WORLDWIDE WEATHER STUDY
The European Space Agency's (ESA's) Meteosat is scheduled
to be launched no earlier than Nov. 17 from Cape Canaveral,
Fla., by NASA's Delta 2914 rocket. The weather satellite will
become a part of a worldwide meteorological program employing
as many -as five geostationary satellites. Launch window is
from 8:35 to 9:05 p.m. EST. The satellite's final Earth
synchronous orbital position will be latitude 0, longitude 0,
placing it over the western coast of South Africa.
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Meteosat will be one of the first practical applications
of European space research and technology. Eight of ESA's
10 member countries are participating: Belgium, Denmark,
France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the United
Kingdom.
The five spacecraft comprising the worldwide program will
be placed at equal distances around the globe and will trans-
mit cloud cover images to ground stations for processing and
relay to users. Meteorological data collected from platforms,
buoys and low polar orbiting satellites will also be collected.
This system will be an important element of the Global Weather
Experiment (GWE), a part of the Global Atmospheric Research
Program (GARP).
Additionally, the U.S. and the Soviet Union plan to launch
two satellites each into polar orbit. The mission of these
satellites is to:
• Collect and disseminate observation data on cloud
formations and Earth surface temperatures.
• Collect and disseminate meteorological observations
data from ships, buoys and unmanned observatories.
• Observe solar protons by space environment monitor.
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In addition to those countries participating in the
satellite portion of GIVE, approximately 145 countries also
will make contributions to the worldwide weather effort by
taking daily surface and atmospheric measurements in their
respective areas.'
All of the data will be sent to Central Data Centers in
Moscow and Washington, D.C. Current planning calls for the
program to be ready for the first intensive observation period
by Decer±>er of 1978.
The global system of precisely placed satellites in geo-
stationary orbit will extend the presently limited amount of
meteorological data European scientists receive from U.S.
spacecraft designed to provide information for one or two
day forecasts of weather conditions in the United States.
Since climatic conditions in one part of the world can affect
the weather many thousands of kilometers away, the continuous
observation of all the Earth's surface and cloud cover by the
global system will produce for Europe, or any other region,
accurate weather forecasts for more than just a couple of days.
The potential value of advanced, accurate weather fore-
casts to agriculture, forestry, fishing, transportation,
tourist and construction industries is of tremendous value.
-more-
Severe storm warnings or other weather extremes as well
as favorable forecasts for leisure and work can: affect
the lives of people throughout the world.
Meteosat observes the Earth and its cloud cover in both
the visible light and infrared regions. A high resolution
radiometer achieves a definition of 2.5 kilometers (.1.6 miles)
on the ground in daylight; 5 km (3.1 mi.) in the infrared.
Images are composed of 2,500 lines in the infrared, 5,000
lines in the visible light channel. A line-by—line scan
picture is taken every 30 minutes. Line scanning is achieved
by the satellite's rotation at approximate 100 rpm. Line-to-
line shifting is obtained by tipping the telescope.
Unprocessed images received directly from Meteosat are
of sufficient quality to be of immediate use. For more
precise definition compatible with international Automatic
Picture Transmission (APT) and Weather Facsimile (WEFAX)
standards, the raw picture is processed by computer on the
ground and sent back to the satellite for retransmission'to
weather stations. WEFAX transmissions can be sent for the
complete coverage with lower resolution, or with high resolu-
tion for a limited zone. Two transmission channels are
devoted to WEFAX.
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Images will be utilized in a variety of ways. Infrared
images will help determine Earth surface and cloud tempera-
tures with a precision of 1 degee Celsius (33.8 Fahrenheit).
Cloud height can be deduced from these temperatures. Wind
velocity, especially in the tropics, may be determined with
3 meters-per-second precision from the observed movement of
small clouds.
Data will be collected from the interrogation of Earth
stations, buoys at sea and weather balloons. Meteosat has
a data retransmission capability. It will send to processing
sites data collected by satellites in low polar orbit such as
those taking vertical soundings of atmospheric temperatures
obtained by a multispectral infrared radiometer.
This system's flexibility makes data acquired by Meteosat
available, through its sister spacecraft in the global net-
work, to meteorologists, oceanographers, hydrologists and
other Earth scientists thus contributing significant improve-
ments in weather forecasting.
Although Meteosat's most obvious, even spectacular, poten-
tial is that of saving human lives and limiting property
damage by early warning of hurricanes or severe storms, its
contributions will also be felt in agriculture, fishing and
all industries where weather and climate are related.
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Meteosat is 2.10 meters (.7 feet) in diameter, 3.195 m
(10.4 ft.) in height excluding the apogee boost motor (ABM)
and weighs 697 kilograms (1,535 pounds) including the 345 kg
(760 Ib.) ABM and fittings.
Data Acquisition, Telecommand and Tracking Station (DATTS)
will be the telecommunication terminal for the main S-band
up/down links with the satellite. Located at Odenwald (near
Darmstadt) Germany, DATTS will be linked to three facilities
of the European Space Operations Center (ESOC) at Darmstadt.
These are:
MOCC (Meteosat Operations Control Center) which controls
the entire system and coordination of operations.
DRCC (Data Referencing and Conditioning Center) for
general data handling and processing.
MIEC (Meteorological Information Extraction Center) for
reception and display of full resolution digital
pictures or WEFAX data.
NASA's Space Tracking and Data Network (STDN) has full
• i
telemetry and command support responsibility for the Meteosat
mission from pre-launch activities through a portion of the
drift-orbit phase, until the spacecraft comes into view of
the dedicated ESA ground station.
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At that time, ESA assumes full mission responsibility and
NASA STDN support terminates. The Ascension Island STDN will,
however, provide emergency backup command support.
STDN station activities are coordinated between Goddard's
Network Operations Control Center, Greenbelt, Md., and ESOC
Darmstadt, in accordance with previously established NASA and
ESA interface agreements.
The prime STDN Meteosat support stations are Orroral
Valley, Australia, and Guam (Pacific) for the first apogee
and all subsequent odd-numbered apogees. Santiago, Chile,
and Rosman, N.C., sites are the prime sites for the second
apogee and all subsequent even-numbered apogees.
During the 24 hour period following the apogee motor
firing, continuous tracking is provided by the in-view STDN
Sites. Continuous telemetry and command support from one
station is provided from apogee motor firing plus three hours
until acquisition by an,ESA ground station. Support there-
after is limited to occasional coveraae bv one station Con
demand).
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The Cannes Establishment of Aerospatiale is prime
contractor for the development of Meteosat, heading the
Cosmos Consortium which includes:
AEROSPATIALE (Societe1 Nationale Industrielle Aero-
spatiale, France)
CASA (Constructiones Aeronautics S.A., Spain)
ETCA (Etudes Techniques et Constructions Aeronautiques,
Belgium)
MBB (Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm, Germany)
MSDS (Marconi Space and Defence Systems, Ltd..
United Kingdom)
SAT (Societe Anonyme de Telecommunications, France)
SELENIA Spa (Italy)
Siemens AG (Germany)
Additionally, the Cannes Establishment of Aerospatiale
is responsible for project management, systems studies,
integration and testing.
(END OF GENERAL RELEASE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.).
-9-
METEOSAT LAUNCH PROFILE
The first two stages of the Delta 2914 place the space-
craft into a low altitude parking orbit 185 km (115 mi.)
near the first equatorial crossing. Spinup to 100 rpm,
followed by injection into a transfer orbit using the Delta
third stage, occurs after a few minutes in parking orbit.
If spacecraft operation is normal Meteosat will be
boosted into synchronous orbit when the apogee motor is
fired at the first apogee (approximately 27 hours after
liftoff). For a nominal transfer orbit, the subsatellite
longitude at this time is 91 degrees E.
Following burnout of the Delta third stage and spacecraft
separation, Meteosat will be in transfer orbit. Transfer
orbit is a highly elliptical inclined orbit with a perigee
altitude of 185 km (115 mi.) and an apogee of 1,200 km (745
mi.) above synchronous altitude. Wl en the spacecraft motor
is fired at apogee in a precise orientation, the orbit will
be circularized and the launch inclination removed.
During transfer orbit the spacecraft with apogee motor
attached is unstable about its principal (spin) axis. To
minimize nutation buildup about this spin axis, an active
nutation control system is activated when the spacecraft
separates from the Delta third stage. Precise control of
thruster firings by this active nutation control system
maintains spacecraft stability about the spin axis.
Prior to apogee motor firing, the spacecraft spin axis
must be reoriented to the correct attitude. This reorienta~
tion will be started as soon as possible after determination
of injection attitude and subsequent apogee motor firing
attitude. The apogee motor firing attitude will be aligned
to inject the spacecraft into near-synchronous drift orbit
for arrival on station in less than two weeks.
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DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE
First Stage
The first stage is a McDonnell Douglas modified Thor
booster incorporating nine Castor II strap-on Thiokol solid
fuel rocket motors. The booster is powered by a Rocketdyne
engine using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrocarbon propellants.
The main engine is gimbal-mounted to provide pitch and yaw
control from liftoff to main engine cutoff (MECO).
Second Stage
The second stage is powered by a TRW liquid-fuel, pressure-
fed engine that also is gimbal-mounted to provide pitch and yaw
control during coast and after second stage cutoffs. Two fixed
nozzles, fed by the propellant tank, helium pressurization sys-
tem, provide retrothrust after third stage separation. Fifty-
six minutes after spacecraft separation, the second stage will
be reignited for a 12 second burn. Data on this burn will be
collected for studies related to future Delta missions.
Third Stage
The third stage is the TE-364-4 spin-stabilized, solid
propellant Thiokol motor. It is secured in the spin table
mounted to the second stage. The firing of eight solid pro-
pellant rockets fixed to the spin table accomplishes spin-up
of the third stage spacecraft assembly.
Injection Into Synchronous Orbit
The Delta vehicle will inject Meteosat into a transfer
orbit having an apogee of 36,999 km (22,990 mi.), a perigee
of 185 km (115 mi.) and an inclination of 27.5 degrees. NASA's
Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network will provide telemetry,
tracking and ranging support until the spacecraft is placed
in its final synchronous orbit at 0 degrees E. longitude.
Command, control, tracking and data analysis are the respon-
sibilities of the European Space Operations Center (ESOC).
-more-
STRAIGHT EIGHT DELTA FACTS AND FIGURES
Height: 35.4 m (116 ft.) including shroud.
Maximum Diameter: 2.4 m (8 ft.) without attached solids
Liftoff Weight: 131,895 kg (293,100 Ib.)
Liftoff Thrust: 1,765,315 newtons (396,700 Ib.)
including strap-on solids
First Stage
(Liquid only) consists of an extended long-tank Thor
produced by McDonnell Douglas. The RS-27 engines are produced
by the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International. The
stage has the following characteristics:
Diameter: 2.4 m (8 ft.)
Height: 21.3 m (.70 ft.)
Propellants: RJ-1 kerosene as the fuel and liquid
oxygen (LOX) as the oxidizer
Thrust: 912,000 N (205,000 Ib.)
Burning Time: About 3.48 minutes
Weight: About 84,600 kg (186,000 Ib.) excluding
strap-on solids
Strap-on solids consist of nine solid-propellant rockets
produced by the Thiokol Chemical Corp. with the following
features:
Diameter: 0.8 m (31 in.)
Height: 7 m (23.5 ft.)
Total Weight: 40,300 kg (88,650 Ib.). for nine
4,475 kg ( 9,850 Ib.) for each.
Thrust: 2,083,000 N (468,000 Ib.) for nine
231,400 N ( 52,000 Ib.) for each.
Burning Time: 38 seconds
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Secorid Stage
Produced by McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. , using
a TRW TR-201 rocket engine; major contractors for the vehicle
inertial guidance system located on the second stage are
Hamilton Standard, Teledyne and Delco.
Propellants: Liquid, consists of Aerozene 50 for the
fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N^ O^  for
the oxidizer.
Diameter: 1.5 m (5 ft.) plus 2.4 m (8 ft.) attached
ring
Height: 6.4 m (.21 ft.)
Weight: 6,118 kg (13,596 Ib.)
Thrust: About 42,943 N (9,650 Ib. )
Total Burning Time: 335 seconds
Third Stage
Thiokol Chemical Co. TE-364-4 motor.
Propellant: Solid
Height: 1.4 m (4.5 ft.)
Diameter: 1 m (3 ft.)
Weight: 1,152 kg (2,560 Ib.)
Thrust: 61,855 N (13,900 Ib.)
Burning Time: 44 seconds
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-13-
LAUNCH OPERATIONS
The Kennedy Space Center's Expendable Vehicles Direc-
torate plays a key role in the preparation and launch of the
thrust-augmented Delta rocket carrying the Meteosat spacecraft.
Delta 136 will be launched from Pad A, northernmost of
the two launch pads at Complex 17, Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station.
The Delta first stage and interstage were erected on
Pad A Oct. 3. Nine Castor II solid strap-on rocket motors
were mounted in place around the base of the first stage
Oct. 4-5. The second stage was mated with the first stage
Oct. 6.
One of the nine Castor II solid motors was removed Oct. 19
and taken to the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., for a
test firing Oct. 20. The successful test of that solid motor
and another motor which would have been flown on Delta 137 with
a Japanese communications satellite in December cleared the way
for the successful launch of Delta 135 with International Sun
Earth Explorers 1 and 2 by Kennedy Center Oct. 22. It was
replaced Oct. 28.
The Meteosat spacecraft was received at Kennedy Center
Sept. 19. After its initial checkout in Hangar AE, it was
moved to the Spin Test Facility Oct. 31. Movement of the
spacecraft/third stage assembly to the pad for mating with
Delta 136 is scheduled for Nov. 10.
Based upon a Nov. 17 launch date, the payload fairing
which protects the spacecraft on its flight through the atmos-
phere is to be put in place Nov. 15.
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-14-
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•-15-
DELTA 136/METEOSAT TEAM
European Space Agency
Roy Gibson
Dr. Ernst Trendelenberg
Dr. Dieter Lennertz
David Leverington
Claude Honbault
NASA Headquarters
John F. Yardley
Joseph B. Mahon
Peter T. Eaton
Goddard Space Flight Center
Dr. Robert S. Cooper
Robert E. Smylie
Robert Lindley
Robert Baumann
David W. Grimes
William R. Russell
John Langmead
Robert Goss
Director General
Director of Scientific and
Meteorological Programs
Meteorological Program Manager
Spacecraft Manager
Ground Segment Manager
Associate Administrator
for Space Flight
Director of Expendable
Launch Vehicle Programs
Manager, Delta Programs
Director
Deputy Director
Director of Projects
Associate Director Space
Transportation Systems
Delta Project Manager
Deputy Delta Project Manager,
Technical
Deputy Project Manager,
Resources
Chief, Mission Analysis and
Integration Branch, Delta
Project Office
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-16-
Goddard Center (cont'd.)
Frank J. Lawrence
Richard H. Scalafford
Ray Mazur
Kennedy Space Center
Lee R. Scherer
Gerald D. Griffin
Dr. Walter J. Kapryan
George F. Page
W. C. Thacker
Bert L. Grenville
Gayle Hager
Delta Mission Integration
Manager
Mission Operations and
Network Support Manager
Mission Support
Director
Deputy Director
Director, Space Vehicles
Operations
Director, Expendable Vehicles
Chief, Delta Operations
Division
Chief, Delta Operations
Branch
Spacecraft Coordinator
CONTRACTORS
McDonnell Douglas
Astronautics Co.
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Meteosat Prime Contractors
Aerospatiale, France
MATRA
ETCA, Belgium
MBB, Germany
MSDS, United Kingdom
Selenia, Italy
Siemens, Germany
Delta launch vehicle
-end-


NASA to launch METEOSAT in worldwide weather study

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