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N E A News

National Aeronautics and


Space Ad ministration
Washington. D.C.20546
AC 202 755-8370

For Release IMMEDIATE


1

Press Kit Project Seasat-A

RELEASE NO: 78-77


ii

RELEASE NO: 78-77

CONTENTS

GENERAL RELEASE ..................................... 1-6


. MISSION DESCRIPTION ................................. 7-14

SCIENCE RATIONALE ................................... 15-25

THE SPACECRAFT ...................................... 26-33

PAYLOAD ............................................. 34-37


DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING ...................... 37-40

LAUNCH VEHICLE SYSTEM (LVS)......................... 41

MAJOR LAUNCH EVENTS FOR ATLAS F/SEASAT-A MISSION .... 42-45

SEASAT-A EXPERIMENT TEAMS ........................... 46-50

SEASAT-A MISSION TEAM ............................... 51-52

SEASAT-A CONTRACTORS ................................ 53-54

May 26. 1978


NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546
AC 202 755-8370

For Release:
Dick McCormack
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIATE
(Phone: 2 02/75 5-8 58 3)

Frank Bristow
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
(Phone: 213/354-5011)

RELEASE NO: 78-77

NASA SATELLITE TO STUDY EARTH'S OCEANS FROM SPACE

NASA will launch Seasat-A, the first satellite to study


the world's oceans, from the Western Test Range, Vandenberg
Air Force Base, Lompoc, Calif., no earlier than June 24, 1 9 7 8 .

Seasat-A, a "proof-of-concept" mission, will be used to


determine if microwave instruments scanning the oceans from
space can provide useful scientific data for oceanographers,
meterorologists and commercial users of the seas.

The spacecraft will send back information on surface


winds and temperatures, currents, wave heights, ice conditions,
ocean topography and coastal storm activity.

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An Atlas-Agena launch vehicle will loft Seasat-A into a


an 800-kilometer (500-mile) high near circular polar orbit.
The spacecraft will circle the Earth 14 times a day and its
instruments will sweep across 95 per cent of the oceans'
surface every 36 hours, providing oceanographers with their
first synoptic, or worldwide, observation of the oceans.

Seasat-A will be used to prove the feasibility of later


employing an operational, multiple-satellite Seasat network
to monitor the world's oceans on a continuous, near-real-
time basis.

Twice daily, such a system could provide ships at sea


with detailed charts of routes updated to show latest weather
conditions, sea state and hazards. Long-range use of the
system could influence ship design, port development and
selection of sites for such off-shore facilities as power
plants.

Other potential users of Seasat data include commercial


fishermen, oil exploration firms, the Weather Service, pol-
lution control agencies, the Coast Guard and Navy and a
variety of others.

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The basic part of Seasat-A (engineers call it "the


bus") is an Agena that serves as second stage of the launch
vehicle and carries a sensor module on which the instruments
and related science payload are mounted. Agena is a three-
axis-stabilized spacecraft that has flown more than 300
missions.

The spacecraft has all-weather capability, and can see


as well at night as in the daytime.

The instrument payload includes four microwave sensors


and a visual and infrared radiometer. Experiment teams,
drawn from scientists representing various oceanographic
disciplines, will determine the geophysical significance of
the microwave data.

The four microwave instruments are:

0 A scanning multifrequency nicrowave radiometer. It


will measure sea surface temperature, estimate wind speed
and detect water in the atmosphere (either vapor or liquid)
to help scientists correct other instruments' data. Duncan
Ross of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's

Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorologic Laboratory, Miami,


Fla., is team leader.

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0 A radar scatterometer will measure sea surface effects


that can be converted directly to wind speed and direction.
Prof. Willard Pierson of the State University of New York
is team leader.

0 A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) will provide all-weather


high-resolution pictures of ocean waves, ice fields, ice-
bergs, ice leads (linear openings in ice through which ships
may navigate) and coastal conditions. (The SAR also can
return pictures of conditions on land.) The instrument will
be used only when Seasat-A can "see" one of the tracking
stations specially equipped to handle its large amounts of
data. Dr. Paul Teleki of the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston,
Va., is team leader.

0 A radar altimeter serves two functions: It will1


monitor average wave height and "significant wave height"
-- a term oceanographers use to designate the largest one-
third of all waves -- and the altitude of the spacecraft
above the ocean to a precision of 10 centimeters ( 4 inches).
That will let scientists measure sea surface topographic
features that relate to ocean tides, storm surges and cur-
rents. Dr. Byron Tapley of the University of Texas is
team leader.

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A fifth instrument aboard Seasat-A -- a visual and


infrared radiometer -- will provide data to support infor-
mation from the microwave sensors. It will measure sea
surface temperature in clear weather, and take pictures of
cloud patterns and ocean and coastal features. Dr. Paul
McClain of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion's National Environmental Satellite Service, Camp Springs,
Md., is team leader.

While Seasat-A takes its measurement from space, an


extensive program of "surface truth" also will be under way.
Low flying aircraft, ships and instrumented buoys will take
measurements to corroborate Seasat data.

Seasat-A's primary mission is for one year, but enough


fuel and other consumables are being put aboard so the
flight can be extended for another two years. For the first
month or more after launch,scientists and engineers will
calibrate instruments and check out and improve computer
programs that have been designed to translate Seasat data
into useful information.

After the calibration phase is complete, the observation


period will begin.

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This will be the primary test for Seasat: can a


spacecraft carrying microwave instruments tell scientists
useful things about the sea surface and the atmosphere and
how they interact?

If Seasat-A lives up to the expectations of those who


believe the oceans can be studied from spacecraft, it could
lead to a global system that can continuously monitor the
oceans.

The Seasat-A program is managed for NASA by the Office


of Space and Terrestrial Applications. NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the project and the
satellite system. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md., provides tracking, orbit and attitude deter-
mination for the mission and the Project Operations Control
Center. NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, has
management responsibility for the launch vehicle. Launch
crew is provided by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile
Test Center. Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., Sunnyvale, Calif.,
is prime contractor for the satellite system.

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)

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MISSION DESCRIPTION

The launch of Seasat-A is timed so that, once the


spacecraft reaches the desired orbit, it will have at
least 3 0 days of full sunlight at the beginning of its
mission. The full Sun period will allow engineers to use
maximum spacecraft power during checkout and the engineer-
ing assessment phase.
Seasat-A will be launched from the Western Test Range
at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Atlas-Agena
launch vehicle will aim for an orbit that is circular, 800
kilometers ( 5 0 0 miles) altitude, has an inclination of 108
degrees and a period of 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes).*
The primary mission is scheduled f o r one year. Enough
fuel and other consumables are being put aboard the space-
craft to allow for an additional two-year-long extended
mission.
Seasat-A is a "proof-of-concept" mission with these
objectives:
0 Demonstrate techniques for global monitoring of
oceanographic phenomena and features:
0 Provide oceanographic data of use to scientists
and to applications users; and
0 Determine key features of an operational ocean-
dynamics monitoring system.
The major difference between Seasat-A and previous
Earth observation satellites is the use of active and pas-
sive microwave sensors to achieve an all-weather capability.
The geophysical oceanographic measurement capabilities for
Seasat-A are shown in Table 1. The altimeter andscatter-
ometer benefit from the atmospheric corrections provided
by the microwave radiometer.
The altimeter provides measurements only at the nadir
of ground track location. The synthetic aperture imaging
radar looks out at a nadir angle of approximately 20 degrees.

*With these trajectory characteristics, sensors with 1,000 km


(620 mi.) cross-track coverage will provide global repeat
coverage every 36 hours, using both day and night passes to
complete the fill-in (Figure 1).

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Geophysical Oceanoqraphic Measurement Capabilities


for Seasat-A

MEASUREMENT 1 RANGE 1 PRKISION/ACCURACY 1 RESOCUIION, Irm I SPACIAL GRID, lun 1 TEMPORAL GRID
GEOID 5cm-MOm
LESS M A N
TOPOGRAPHY
SURGES, lOcm - 10m
<* 20 cm

I
1 . 6 - 12
I
1
-lo
6 MONTHS

MICROWAVE
RADIOMETER '- ds i2 m/i OR *lo% 50 50
36 h TO 95%
COVERAGE
SURFACE
WINDS f 2 m/a OR 10%
50 100 36 h TO 95%
COVERAGE
f 20.
I I
HEIGHT ALTIMETER 0.5 - 25 m i0.5 TO 1 .O m OR *lo% 1.6 - 12 NADIR ONLY
GRAVITY 1/14d NEAR
WAMS CONTINENTAL
U.S.

RELATIM
I
V61R I -2 -35OC
1.5'
I

1
-5
I

I 36h

I 1
ABSOLUTE RADIOMETER CLEAR WEATHER 2. -5
SURFACE I I
TEMPERATURE
MICROWAVE -2-35.C 10 I
RADIOMETER ALL WEATHER
1 .so
100
I loo
36 h

- 5 km 36h
I
1

SEA ICE
EXTENT
I MICROWAVE
RADIOMETER I 10-15 h I 10-15 I 10-15 36h

t25 m 25 m I
1 /1 4NEAR
t25 m 25 m C O N 1I N E NTAL
U.S.
ICEBERGS I I >25m
sHous~ V6lR
cLouDs# RADIOMETER 36 h
OCEAN ISLANDS
FEATURES

ATMOSPHERIC WATER MICROWAVE


I 1/ 1 4NEAR
CONTINENTAL
U.S.

CORRECTIONS RADIOMETER i25 m I 5 0 50 36 h

Table 1

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qa SEASAT-n 3
- SEASAT-A P,
36 HR ORBITAL COVERAGE 36 HR ORBITAL COVERAGE
12-24 HRS COVERAGE
0-12 HRS COVERAGE
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The 100-km (62-mi.) swath then allows it to overlap


its coverage with the scatterometer wind measurements.
The scatterometer looks out both sides with narrow
fan beams. The fan beams, placed 45 degrees forward and
45 degrees back, allow two l o o k s at each piece of ocean
separated by 90 degrees, to allow a wind direction assess-
ment. The fan beams extend on the ground from a surface
incidence angle of 25 degrees to 55 degrees for the full
range of winds (3-25 meters/second), and then to 65 degrees
for the higher winds (10-25 m/s). Below 25 degrees, the
changes in backscatter from different wind speeds are dif-
ficult to differentiate. As a result measurements are not
included in those small angles.
The microwave radiometer scans +25 degrees across
track, with a surface incidence angle of about 55 degrees.
The visible and infrared radiometer scans horizon to
horizon, but only the middle 70 degrees of scan (or about
1,000 km -- 620 mi.) on the ground produce accurate tem-
peratures. Angular distortions at the higher angles plus
increasingly long atmospheric path lengths make accurate
interpretation much more difficult.
All of the instruments (except the imaging radar) are
expected to be operated continuously during most of the
mission to provide global coverage through on-board storage
and then dump over one of the five NASA ground stations
expected to be active in that period (see Figure 2).
The imaging radar is to operate in real time only when
it is over appropriate high-data-rate Satellite Tracking
and Data Network (STDN) ground stations. Present plans for
the imaging radar use existing stations in Alaska, California
and Maryland (at Goddard Space Flight Center) and a new
Canadian station at St. John's, Newfoundland, to cover all
the coastal waters of the U.S. and the major North American
ice fields of interest. A 24-hour ground trace is shown
in Figure 3.

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SEASAT-A
STATION COVERAGE
Figure 2

80

-80 L I U’
I
0 180
SEASAT-A
24 hour GROUND TRACE

I
P
h)
I

Figure 3
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Project engineers and planners have divided the one-


year primary mission into several phases:
The Initial Orbital Cruise Phase begins as the space-
craft is acquired by the first ground tracking station of
the STDN. It will continue while the spacecraft receives
an initial checkout and the orbit is adjusted for launch
errors and determined to sufficient accuracy (ultimate
altitude accuracy will be a meter (three feet) or less).
The Engineering Assessment Phase will begin when the
early checkout is complete. Instruments aboard Seasat-A
will be calibrated against prelaunch test information.
Algorithms (computer programs) specially designed for
Seasat will be checked and updated or improved where
needed. During this phase, which could last from 30 to 90
days, the spacecraft, the sensors and the orbit must be
checked and made as near ideal as possible, in preparation
for the next phase -- the primary purpose of Seasat-A.
The Observation Phase -- the key segment of Seasat's
proof-of-concept mission -- is broken down into two parts
or subphases. Once the Engineering Assessment Phase ends,
experiment teams, whose sole purpose is scientific evalua-
tion of the instruments and computer algorithms, will take
data from the spacecraft sensors and other sources and de-
termine how the information can be interpreted. Mission
planners refer to this work as geophysical evaluation, and
discuss it as different entirely from the engineering eval-
uation that precedes it.
Once geophysical evaluation is complete, the second
phase begins. Now the mission teams will produce Interim
Geophysical Data Records and distribute them to experi-
menters and other users, independent of the evaluation
teams. Sensors may be recalibrated in conjunction with
surface truth findings throughout this phase.
During the observation phase, data will be taken from
all instruments (except the SAR) globally in an uninter-
rupted stream, stored on the satellite and dumped to a
tracking station in three-hour segments.
The Orbit Trim Phase will, from time to time, break
into whatever work is going on. Interruptions will be
required whenever Seasat-A's orbit must be adjusted. The
satellite will be removed from its cruise condition, con-
figured for the orbit trim, the course correction will be
made and then the satellite will be returned to cruise.

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Extended Operations -- the final phase -- is being


planned. It would begin at the completion of Seasat's
first year of flight.
Data from Seasat-A will be made available to users --
after the experiment teams have completed their geophysical
evaluation -- in as timely a fashion as required for each
user.
When the data become available for everyday use, the
U.S. Navy's Fleet Numerical Weather Central at Monterey,
Calif., for example, will receive data within a few hours
of collection by the spacecraft. The eventual goal is to
provide weather data within six hours after it is collected.
Data will be distributed by the project to other users --
again, after the evaluation subphase is complete -- from
both NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.,
and the Navy's computer operations.
The Synthetic Aperture Radar will be used only on a
real time basis. Since it collects data at the rate of
110 million bits per second, it can operate only when
Seasat-A is within sight of a ground station equipped to
handle its data. These stations include Goldstone, Calif.;
Merritt Island, Fla.; and Fairbanks, Alaska. The Canadian
government is planning to equip a station at St. John's,
Newfoundland. The European Space Agency (ESA) is considering
similar plans for southern England.
Project planners are setting up a mission plan that
reads more like a planetary encounter than an Earth-orbiting
flight because mission activity builds with the passage of
time to a specific target period. The project aims at sup-
port of a worldwide experiment in ocean and atmospheric
sampling called the Global Atmospheric Research Project
(GARP). Ships and aircraft from many nationsaround the
world will probe the air and sea during special sampling
periods in January and February, and again in June and
July 1979.

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SCIENCE RATIONALE

The world's oceans play a fundamental role in the


dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere and thus profoundly
affect the weather and climate of the entire Earth.
The oceans act as a planet-wide heat reservoir that
stores, distributes and then releases solar energy; the
sea is also the source for most atmospheric moisture.
Scientists have estimated that more than 4 0 per cent of
all the heat in the atmosphere comes from condensation of
water vapor that enters the atmosphere by way of evapora-
tion from the oceans.
Exchanges between ocean and atmosphere produce large-
scale transport of energy on a global scale, usually from
lower to higher latitudes, and have a major influence on
weather and climate. A large portion of the heat energy
that moves from the tropics to higher latitudes is carried
by ocean currents.
The enormous quantities of energy involved are dramati-
cally illustrated by hurricanes and typhoons. The source
of their energy is heat stored in the oceans.
Scientists believe it is unlikely they will ever be
able to make reliable predictions of weather, climate,
ocean currents and other oceanographic parameters without
the large-scale numerical models of atmospheric and oceanic
circulation that are possible only with satellite observations.
A number of ocean science fields should be able to
profit, either directly or indirectly, from satellite
studies. Satellite oceanography is limited, generally to
surface and near-surface measurements in the few tens of
meters below and above what scientists call the boundary
layer. That constraint is not as severe as it might appear,
since data taken from satellites can be used with more con-
ventionally derived information about vertical current and
temperature profiles, depth and changes in salinity.
The areas of ocean-related science that can benefit
from satellite information are marine geodesy and gravity;
physical and biological oceanography; glaciology; boundary
layer meteorology; and climatology.
In addition, a number of applications oriented users
can benefit from satellite information: shipping, offshore
oil drilling and mining, fishing fleets and residents of
coastal regions.
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It may be possible to monitor location and movement


of oil spills from a satellite.
Many Earth satellites have carried sensors with some
applications to oceanographic studies. Examples are TIROS,
ITOS, Skylab, GEOS, Nimbus and the Applications Technology
Satellite (ATS) series. Seasat-A will be the first dedi-
cated test bed for a new class of instrumentation -- micro-
wave sensors -- that can operate independent of solar illum-
ination and without having to cease operations because of
overcast.
Seasat-A should add to our understanding of the oceans
and the role they play in our lives in these fields:

Oceanography, Meteorology and Climatology


Waves
Seasat-A should reveal the principal features of the
dynamic behavior of ocean gravity waves, about which we
now have a dearth of quantitative data. Many fundamental
questions remain largely unanswered.
A comparison between theory and observation has been
difficult to obtain in large part due to the absence of
adequate experimental data on waves, especially under storm
conditions. Because of this lack, not enough is known about
the genesis of waves in response to winds, their changing
characteristics as they propagate over the ocean surface,
their interactions with other surface wave fields, their
generating, in turn, of internal waves, their trapping and
refraction by strong currents and their attenuation as they
enter shallow waters and suffer major changes in amplitude,
speed and direction before finally dissipating their remain-
ing energy in erosive, often destructive assaults on the
coasts.
Wave Heights -- The wave height information presently
available has been generated largely
~ by
_ ships
_ at sea. The
bulk of the information comes from some 1,200 ships, mostly
in the northern hemisphere, which report estimated wave
conditions in terms of height, period and dominant direction
of travel.
Recently the GEOS-3 altimeter has begun to provide wave
data from space. Seasat's observations will be more accurate
and cover the oceans much more systematically and completely.

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Seasat-A will make measurements of significant wave


height by means of its short pulse altimeter, the return
pulse broadening being a function of the wave amplitude.
These measures will be good to 0.5 m (1.8 ft.) or + 10
per cent in the 1 to 20 ( 3 . 8 to 65 ft.) range and ;ill be
uniformly distributed over all the world's unfrozen oceans
at a measurement density sufficiently great to permit the
obtaining of good information about significant spatial
variations along the orbital track. Accurate measurements
of wave height every 5 0 km (31 mi.), for example, which is
a reasonable operational schedule for Seasat-AI will result
in some 7,000 observations per day.
Wave Directional Spectra -- A very few weather ships,
four or five in the North Atlantic and a single one in the
North Pacific, record the wave height as a function of time
at a point. Non-directional frequency spectra can be de-
duced from such records.
Seasat-A will record wave directional spectra (i.e.,
wave amplitude as a function of wavelength and propagation
direction) at some 500 or 600 locations in both hemispheres,
using the coherent imaging radar of the type discussed in
the last section. It will thus, for the first time, fur-
nish global, synoptic measures of wave height and directional
spectra which, together with the wind field, constitute the
most basic quantities needed for open-ocean wave forecasting.
Wave Images -- Where a wave field is not statistically
homogeneous, a spectral description is not adequate and
wave images are required instead. This is true, for example,
of waves generated by intense storms, or in the study of
refraction of waves as they enter shallower water, where
bathymetric features can lead to large concentrations or
dilutions of wave energy.
Wave generation, propagation, interaction and absorp-
tion can be studied experimentally for a variety of condi-
tions of wind speed, fetch and duration, using such data.
Wave trapping and refraction through encounters with cur-
rent systems is another phenomenon which can be elucidated
by means of Seasat-A wave images. Coupling between surface
waves and internal waves can also be studied with the aid
of imagery. Evidence has already been presented that effects
of internal waves are discernible in Landsat images in the
visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum.

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Sea Surface Temperature


The temperature of the ocean's surface, another one
of its basic characteristics, is currently mapped over
cloud-free portions of the ocean by infrared radiometers
operating on Nimbus, N O M and SMS satellites, with pre-
cisions approaching + 1 deqree ~ ( 1 . 8degrees F.). The tem-
peratures of the remgining beclouded portions of the ocean
surface are presently determined only from ships or buoys,
however. Seasat-A's multichannel microwave radiometer will
map sea surface temperature under conditions of clouds or
light rains, albeit with considerably coarser spatial reso-
lution and somewhat lower temperature precision than the
infrared instruments. However, the microwave measurements
should represent bulk ocean temperatures more closely than
the infrared measures do, particularly under conditions
where light surface winds result in little surface mixing.
The microwave radiometer, in order to correct the sea
temperature measurement for effects of atmospheric liquid
and vaporous water and surface foam and roughness, must make
independent determinations of these quantities by using
several frequencies and two polarizations. The records of
the several channels, taken together, form the basis for
the determination of sea surface temperature, foam and
roughness and hence, high wind speeds, cloud distribution,
atmospheric water vapor content and sea and lake ice cover.
Sea temperature is a parameter of considerable impor-
tance in oceanic and atmospheric processes, since it reflects
the absorption by the sea of that prime mover, solar energy.
The difference between active and inactive hurricane seasons
may be due to water temperatures in hurricane gestation
areas just 2 to 3 degrees C ( 3 . 6 to 5.4 degrees F.) lower
than average. Ocean temperature is a major factor in deter-
mining the tone of weather and climate in coastal regions
of the world and indeed, as the North Pacific Experiment
suggests, may control short term climate on a continental
scale through its influence on the circumpolar jet stream.
Maps of sea surface temperatures are very useful for
understanding the dynamics of current systems such as the
Gulf Stream or Kuroshio, especially in winter and spring.
Furthermore, open-ocean fish such as tuna tend to swim along
the lines of constant temperature at certain times in their
excursions and thus ocean temperatures assist in marine
biological studies. In persistently cloudy areas such as
the Intertropical Convergence Zone or the Antarctic Circum-
polar Current Region, temperatures derived from a microwave
radiometer will be of special value. Knowledge of sea sur-
face temperature will also be important in connection with
studies of marine fog.
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Ice Fields and Leads


Ice will be studied in several ways during the
Seasat-A mission. The small-scale features of lake and
polar ice fields will be sampled frequently by the coherent
imaging radar thereby providing data needed to chart ice
leads, surface roughness characteristics, and motions of
ridges, polynyas and openinqs in the ice, This information
will be of value in studying the structure and dynamics of
ice formations. Furthermore, there are indications that
the age and thickness of ice may be determined from a pro-
perly configured imaging radar.
On a coarser but more nearly global scale, the micro-
wave scanning radiometer should provide images of ice cover
that can be used to extrapolate the fine-grained imaging
radar coverage. Delineations of the edges of ice packs and
glaciers and the general advance and retreat of ice cover
should be possible with this device.
The information about the ice leads and openings will
also be of value in connection with the all-weather deter-
mination of heat transfer into the atmosphere, which proceeds
approximately 1,000 times more rapidly across the water than
the ice interface. Such data will be valuable for weather
and climate studies in the polar regions, where much of the
world's weather is spawned.
Sea Surface Topoqraphy
The marine geoid is defined as the surface which would
be assumed by a motionless, uniform ocean under the influence
of the Earth's gravity and rotation, and uniform atmospheric
pressure. Thus, it reflects only the effects of gravitational
and gross centripetal forces. Departures of the sea surface
from the geoid due to tides, currents, Coriolis force, wind,
pressure and wave-making and other forces are grouped under
the term "sea surface topography." These departures, if mea-
surable, can often be used to derive information on the forcing
functions themselves.
The general strategy planned for conducting these topo-
graphical experiments with Seasat-A includes the focusing of
efforts in the Western North Atlantic Quadrangle region de-
fined by Goddard, Bermuda, Grand Turk and Cape Kennedy where
laser trackers will yield accurate orbital heights for Sea-
sat-A, and relatively good geoid information is available.

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The aim is to determine the sea surface topography


to about a third of a meter in this area, and to one or two
meters elsewhere, or about a factor of two or more better
than in the case of GEOS-C. In addition, the coverage pat-
terns will be more uniform and complete in the case of
Seasat-A.
The Gulf Stream traverses this quadrangle and, in fact,
exhibits all its major features in the area, i.e., relatively
steady flow, meanders and eddies.
Tides -- The M tidal signal is relatively strong in
the quadrangle, and $he orbital paths are nearly parallel
and orthogonal to the co-range lines there. The complicated,
ill-understood transition from deep sea to coastal tides can
a l s o be studied here.
The deep ocean tides have amplitudes of the order of
a meter. It is anticipated that the determination of the
deep ocean tides on a global basis may be attempted by ana-
lyzing the entire ensemble of data gathered over a period of
a year and solving say,for tidal amplitudes and phases, dis-
sipation Parmeters and quantities representing the yieldinq
of the solid Earth in response to both the lunisolar gravi-
tational effects and the loading of the ocean tides themselves.
Tidal dissipations are thought to occur mainly in regions of
broad continental shelves, such as the Patagonian Shelf and
the Bering Sea.
Currents and the Oceanic Pressure Gradient -- The move-
ment of water on a rotating Earth leads to a departure of the
surface of the ocean from the geoidal equipotential surface
due to the balance between the horizontal component of the
coriolis acceleration and the resultant horizontal pressure
gradient. The steady components of the dynamic topography
of the sea surface have an extreme range of the order of 2
meters.
The Seasat-A instrument complement will also include
a thermal infrared imager which will aid in identifying and
locating ocean features such as currents, and thus facilitate
the interpretation of the altimeter records.
The Seasat-A precision altimeter and tracking systems
will yield measurements along subsatellite tracks with an
equatorial spacing of approximately 2,500 km (1,553 mi.)
(and even less at higher latitudes). In three months, the
tracks should overlay the equator at about 2 0 km (12 mi.)
intervals. Variable topographic features which have suf-
ficiently long time constants (or are periodic) and are large
enough to be sampled with this measurement precision and den-
sity should be discernible against spatial variations in the
background geoid.
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It is anticipated, for example, that this approach


will be used to search for the transient mid-ocean currents,
of a spatial scale of the order of 5 degrees, which have
recently been seen. Following them over the oceans as a
whole will help greatly in the effort to understand how
they interact with the mean general circulation of the ocean,
and thereby contribute significantly to the solution of the
central problem in physical oceanography at the present time.
Tsunamis, Set-Up and Storm Surges -- Other oceanic
departures from the geoid should be observable in the alti-
metric signal if the satellite is overhead at the time and
place of occurrence. For example, a seismically excited
wave, or tsunami, should be detectable in mid-ocean as a
near-periodic topographic ripple of perhaps 50 cm range and
a couple of hundred kilometers in wavelength. Since these
disturbances last for tens of hours and ultimately traverse
the entire ocean basin, there is a reasonable probability
of observing one if it should occur during the lifetime of
the spacecraft. The amplitude of a deep-ocean tsunami has
never been measured.
Similarly, variations in the set-up of water against
the coast due to longer term wind stress will be looked for,
and the extreme form of this phenomenon, the storm surge,
should be observable if the timing and positioning relative
to the satellite track are correct. Such an observation of
a storm surge is a low probability event but, if obtained,
the data would be extremely valuable as checks on storm
surge prediction models.
Seasat-A will probably not solve the problems o f ocean
tides, currents and circulations completely, however, its
accurate altimetry will permit important exploratory experi-
ments to be conducted in all these areas. They should yield
data which will be of much intrinsic value, and will provide
the foundation for planning the next phase of the program in
these areas of ocean science.
Meteorology and Climatology
Surface Winds -- Seasat-A will measure surface wind
speeds, and to some extent, directions, by means of a
scatterometer and a microwave radiometer. The former relies
on Bragg scattering from wind-generated capillary waves,
while the latter senses the increase in brightness tempera-
ture due to foam and roughness. The fraction of the surface
covered by the capillaries or the foam and roughness is a
function of wind speed.

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These instruments have both been operated on aircraft


missions and on Skylab.
The Seasat-A surface wind data will be equivalent to
some 20,000 ship reports each day, roughly an order of mag-
nitude larger than that presently provided by surface vessels.
Again, they will be more or less uniformly distributed over
the global oceans, thus filling the major gaps in the meteoro-
logical coverage patterns which result from the fact that ships
are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere, largely in the
shipping lanes. Using wind data from the spacecraft in con-
junction with ship, buoy and island information, it appears
possible to define the vector surface wind field throughout
the planetary boundary layer every 2 4 hours, for speeds from
4 to 5 m/sec to perhaps whole gale force or greater, on a
relatively uniform grid of approximately 1,400 km (870 mi.)
spacing.
The definition of the surface wind over the oceans
will be a large step forward in ocean wave forecasting. The
wind data, used in conjunction with other surface-derived
information and wave directional spectra supplied by Seasat-A
as both initial and boundary values of the surface wave field,
will allow development of an advanced, computerized global
wave forecast model whose potential monetary value to marine
interests is immense.
Scientific problems in wind-wave interactions, such as
the generation and radiation of waves by intense storms, and
in mixing processes in the upper layers of the ocean, may be
studied using the enhanced base of global data on winds,
waves and ocean temperatures.
The Planetary Atmosphere -- Coming, as they will, at
the time of the Global Atmosphere Research Project (GARP)/
First GARP Global Experiment (FGGE) activities, these Sea-
sat-A results will be especially relevant to the science of
the atmosphere. The measurements of winds in the tropics
and of sea surface temperatures to be made by Seasat-A are
expected to be of real value in connection with weather
studies in general and the FGGE in particular. Seasat-A is
also likely to play a useful role in the longer range studies
aimed at the second objective of GARP which is to investigate
"the factors that determine the statistical properties of the
general circulation of the atmosphere which would lead to a
better understanding of the physical basis of climate."

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A significant improvement in the quality of the


planetary weather forecasts in the one-to-three-day interval
is expected to result from the infusion of Seasat-A data
into global weather prediction models. The improvement will
occur not only over the oceans but also over continental
areas, such as the East Coast and the western half of the
United States, which are strongly affected by maritime con-
ditions. The data-sparse Southern Hemisphere will benefit
especially. The quality of the forecasts there will increase
substantially. This will result in both scientific and gen-
eral gains in terms of our understanding of the atmosphere
and the weather, and will permit studies of interhemisphere
interactions to get underway in earnest. The fierce meteoro-
logical systems surrounding the Antarctic continent will also
be susceptible to orderly study on a synoptic scale for the
first time.
It is obvious that Seasat-A data will only form a por-
tion of the total meteorological information entering into
synoptic or global scale weather and climate studies. How-
ever, this expanded data base, containing global measurements
of surface wind, waves and sea temperature, will be an impor-
tant and often unique adjunct to the data obtained from sur-
face sources and from other spacecraft.

Solid Earth Physics


The Ocean Geoid
Although Seasat-A is designed primarily to give oceanic
and atmospheric information, it will contribute significantly
to solid Earth geophysics as well.
The present knowledge of the geoid is based on obser-
vations of gravitational perturbations of satellite orbits,
which reflect global features, and surface gravimetry which
provides details in some local areas. The satellite alti-
meter approach offers the best prospect for acquiring high-
resolution ocean geoid data on a global basis. It has very
large advantages over the conventional surface ship method
in terms of the practicalities of achieving worldwide coverage.
The geoid data provided by the altimeter are not atten-
uated by height. The regular coverage patterns of Seasat-A
will improve the spatial resolution of the global geoid. The
height resolution is expected to be improved to a scale of
the order of a meter.

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The fine structure of the geoid to be traced out by


the Seasat-A altimeter system is expected to reveal a great
deal of information about the structure and dynamics of the
Earth's crust. The small-scale undulations of the ocean
geoid are manifestations of gravity anomalies which reflect
density irregularities of corresponding scale and/or depth.
Many of these, in turn, are considered to result from tem-
perature patterns associated with convective flows within
the asthenosphere. Upcurrents due to convection are thought
to occur at ocean rise crests, and on their volcanic flanks.
Lithospheric dynamics will also be partially elucidated
by the high resolution surface gravity mapping obtained from
Seasat-A. The understanding of tectonic plate behavior near
subduction zones associated with such phenomena as compressive
upbuckling will be increased.
A continuing interplay between the oceans and the solid
Earth is seen again in the continental shelves and abyssal
plains, which are heavily sedimented. The sedimentation pro-
cess is influenced in significant ways by ocean waves, cur-
rents, temperatures and nutrient levels. Thus, this aspect
of the solid Earth's structure can be better understood through
an increased knowledge of ocean dynamics.
Fine resolution gravity maps will also permit more
effective planning of other types of geophysical surveys that
use, for example, heat flow probes, dredge hauls, seismic re-
fraction profilometers, drill cores and precision depth
sounders.
Solid Earth Tidal Studies
The ocean tidal studies will also yield data on the
solid Earth tides. As mentioned earlier, the problem of the
ocean tides actually cannot be fully solved without simul-
taneously determining the elastic behavior of the solid Earth
as it responds not only to the lunisolar gravitational attrac-
tions but also to the loading due to the ocean tides themselves.
Once the ocean tides are known, intriguing possibilities
for detailed probing of the solid Earth can be opened up. For
example, the ocean tidal currents flowing in the Earth's mag-
netic field generate electric potentials which are functions
of the conductivity of both sea water and the solid Earth.
Once the tides and currents are known, the influence of the
solid Earth on the potentials may be estimated, and the cor-
responding effective conductivity as a function of effective
depth in the Earth can be deduced.
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Through this route, one may derive information about


the temperature distribution within the Earth's upper mantle,
and draw inferences about the stress fields that may be re-
sponsible for seismic activity.
Oceanoaraphic and Geodetic Levelina
Oceanographic and geodetic methods have both been used
to determine the positions of the level surfaces along both
the east and west coasts of the United States. Mean sea level
appears to slope upward from the south to north by nearly a
meter, relative to land based spirit leveling. This discrep-
ancy cannot be explained in terms of the estimated accuracies
of the two procedures. The Seasat-A mission, with its capa-
bility for accurate determination of sea surface topography
along the U.S. East Coast, for example, may offer prospects
for helping to resolve this long-standing controversy.

Orbital Dynamics
The very accurate tracking and altimetric systems em-
ployed in the Seasat-A program will lead to considerable re-
finements in the science of orbital dynamics. The effects
of high-order gravity perturbations will be better under-
stood and accounted for. Non-gravitational perturbations
such as those due to solar radiation pressure and residual
atmospheric drag will be determined with increased accuracy.
One result will be improved orbit determination and predic-
tion models for other Earth-orbiting satellites.

Engineering Science
A high technology system such as a spacecraft and the
associated ground facilities always brings along with it a
number of important developments in engineering science and
technology. While it is difficult to specify exactly what
will be the yield of Seasat-A in this regard, it is safe to
speculate that in the areas of microwave sensors, in laser
and radar tracking technology, and perhaps in data handling
and dissemination, significant advances are to be expected.
It is likely that other areas in space technology will be
upgraded during the program, as well.

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THE SPACECRAFT

The Agena, second s t a g e of t h e A t l a s F/Agena launch


vehicle, serves as t h e s a t e l l i t e b u s p r o v i d i n g a t t i t u d e
c o n t r o l , power, g u i d a n c e , t e l e m e t r y and command f u n c t i o n s .
The s e n s o r module i s t a i l o r e d s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r t h e Seasat-A
payload of f i v e microwave i n s t r u m e n t s and t h i e r antennas.
T o g e t h e r , t h e t w o modules are a b o u t 2 1 m ( 4 0 f t . ) l o n g w i t h
a maximum d i a m e t e r of 1 . 5 m ( 5 f t . ) w i t h o u t appendages de-
ployed. Atop t h e A t l a s b o o s t e r r o c k e t , t h e e n t i r e s a t e l l i t e
i s e n c l o s e d w i t h i n a 3-m ( 1 0 - f t . ) - d i a m e t e r nose f a i r i n g
which matches t h e d i a m e t e r of t h e A t l a s . A f t e r b u r n o u t of
the Agena s t a g e and i n j e c t i o n i n t o t h e 800-km (500-mi.)
o r b i t , Seasat-A w e i g h t w i l l be n e a r l y 2 , 3 0 0 k m C5,050 l b s . ) .
Many mechanical e l e m e n t s of t h e s a t e l l i t e are r i g i d l y
r e s t r a i n e d a g a i n s t the s e v e r e l a u n c h v i b r a t i o n d u r i n g
powered f l i g h t . Following t h e l a u n c h p h a s e , appendages,
which w e r e l a t c h e d s e c u r e l y w i t h i n t h e n o s e f a i r i n g , are
deployed t o t h e i r o r b i t a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n . The Agena ord-
nance subsystem a c t u a t e s p i n p u l l e r s t o r e l e a s e n e a r l y a
dozen d e p l o y a b l e s p a c e c r a f t e l e m e n t s i n c l u d i n g s o l a r p a n e l s ,
a n t e n n a s and s u p p o r t booms.
I n o r b i t t h e s a t e l l i t e w i l l a p p e a r t o " s t a n d on end"
( f i g u r e 4 ) l i k e a p e n c i l , t h e s e n s o r and communications
a n t e n n a s p o i n t i n g toward E a r t h and t h e Agena r o c k e t n o z z l e
and s o l a r p a n e l s o p p o s i t e toward space. Dominant f e a t u r e of
the Seasat i s t h e S y n t h e t i c A p e r t u r e Radar ( S A R ) a n t e n n a ,
a 2.1 by 1 0 . 7 - m ( 7 by 3 5 - f t . ) p l a n a r a r r a y deployed p e r -
p e n d i c u l a r t o t h e s a t e l l i t e body.
S e a s a t - A i s c o n t i n u a l l y s t a b i l i z e d on three axes by
a momentum wheel/horizon s e n s i n g system t o a c c u r a t e l y p o i n t
the sensors a t the Earth's surface.
Hot-gas j e t s p r o v i d e t h r u s t f o r a d j u s t i n g t h e o r b i t
and f o r a t t i t u d e c o n t r o l d u r i n g Agena burn and o r b i t a d j u s t
periods.
Two 11-panel s o l a r a r r a y s are t h e primary s o u r c e of
e l e c t r i c a l power. Two nickel-cadmium s t o r a g e b a t t e r i e s
a r e used p r i o r t o s o l a r p a n e l deployment and s t o r e energy
f o r peak power r e q u i r e m e n t s and d u r i n g s o l a r e c l i p s e
period operations.
Data s t o r a g e c a p a c i t y on t h e s a t e l l i t e i s a b o u t 350
m i l l i o n b i t s of i n f o r m a t i o n --the e q u i v a l e n t of more t h a n
t w o f u l l o r b i t s of measurements f r o m a l l s e n s o r s w i t h t h e
e x c e p t i o n of t h e SAR. SAR d a t a i s n o t r e c o r d e d .

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Seasat-A On-Orbit Configuration

SCATTEROMETER

SYNTHETIC APERTURE
RADAR ANTENNA

ANTENNA No. 1
MULT I-CHANNEL
MICROWAVE RADIOMETER
VlRR RADIOMETER LASER RETROREFLECTOR

SAR DATA ALTIMETER


LINK ANTENNA

Figure 4
-28-

Redundant S-band t r a n s m i t t e r s and receivers, f u n c t i o n -


i n g as t r a n s p o n d e r s , p r o v i d e t h e communications l i n k f o r
e n g i n e e r i n g and s e n s o r t e l e m e t r y . A s e p a r a t e S-band t r a n s -
m i t t e r p r o v i d e s t h e SAR downlink.
I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e primary t r a c k i n g i n f o r m a t i o n from
S e a s a t ' s S-band communications system, t w o independent
t r a c k i n g systems a i d i n n a v i g a t i o n and o r b i t d e t e r m i n a t i o n .
Laser t r a c k i n g s i g n a l s o r i g i n a t e from ground s i t e s and are
r e f l e c t e d f r o m an a r r a y of r e t r o r e f l e c t o r s on t h e s a t e l l i t e .
A dual-frequency beacon t r a n s m i t s u l t r a s t a b l e c a r r i e r s t o a
ground t r a c k i n g network, TRANET.

Power

The S e a s a t - A p o w e r s u b s y s t e m s u p p l i e s a l l e l e c t r i c a l
power t o t h e s a t e l l i t e by g e n e r a t i n g , c o n v e r t i n g and switch-
i n g t h e power.
Primary power s o u r c e i s a p a i r o f s o l a r a r r a y s genera-
t i n g a b o u t 1 , 0 0 0 w a t t s a t t h e b e g i n n i n g of t h e m i s s i o n ,
v a r y i n g t h r o u g h o u t t h e m i s s i o n w i t h a minimum of 700 w a t t s .
The p a n e l s , r o t a t a b l e on one a x i s , s u p p o r t 1 4 . 5 s q u a r e m
( 1 5 6 s q u a r e f t . ) of s o l a r c e l l s .

Two nickel-cadmium b a t t e r i e s , k e p t charged by t h e s o l a r


a r r a y s , s u p p l y a l l power d u r i n g a s c e n t t o o r b i t and d u r i n g
s o l a r e c l i p s e p e r i o d s and augment s o l a r a r r a y power d u r i n g
peak l o a d s . S o l a r e c l i p s e p e r i o d s o c c u r i n about h a l f t h e
o r b i t s during t h e mission.
A d r i v e system c o n t i n u o u s l y p o s i t i o n s t h e a r r a y s a b o u t
t h e i r c e n t r a l a x i s t o face t h e Sun as t h e s a t e l l i t e p l y s
i t s o r b i t . The d r i v e system, f e d d i r e c t i o n s by sun s e n s o r s
mounted on t h e o u t b o a r d p a n e l of each a r r a y , w i l l r o t a t e
t h e a r r a y s about 5 , 0 0 0 t i m e s d u r i n g t h e f i r s t y e a r of
flight.
N o r m a l s a t e l l i t e power r e q u i r e m e n t s can v a r y from about
5 0 0 t o 700 w a t t s b u t can exceed 1 , 2 0 0 w a t t s d u r i n g b r i e f
p e r i o d s of SAR o p e r a t i o n s . During emergency c o n d i t i o n s ,
the s a t e l l i t e can be powered down t o a b o u t 4 5 0 w a t t s .
Average o r b i t a l power l o a d i s a b o u t 700 w a t t s .

D a t a Svstem

Communications w i t h Seasat w i l l be S-band r a d i o l i n k


between t h e E a r t h s t a t i o n s of the NASA S a t e l l i t e Tracking
and Data Network ( S T D N ) and t h e d a t a system aboard t h e
spacecraft.

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The u p l i n k c a r r i e s commands and r a n g i n g s i g n a l s from


ground s t a t i o n s t o t w o r e d u n d a n t receivers. The downlink
c a r r i e r , from one of a p a i r of one-watt t r a n s m i t t e r s , i s
modulated by r a n g i n g s i g n a l s and r e a l t i m e and s t o r e d de-
g i t a l data.

3 0 t h receivers a r e always on, o p e r a t i n g a t 2106 MHz.


Only one t r a n s m i t t e r , s e l e c t e d by power-on command, i s on
a t any one t i m e . The t r a n s m i t t e r s r a d i a t e a t 2287 MHz.
Normally t h e downlink c a r r i e r w i l l be phase-locked t o t h e
uplink carrier -- a t r a n s m i t t e r and r e c e i v e r combination
f u n c t i o n i n g as a t r a n s p o n d e r -- and r e l a t e d i n frequency
by a known r a t i o . Two 0.5-m ( 2 0 i n . ) - d i a m e t e r r e f l e c t i n g
d i s k a n t e n n a s are used i n o r b i t . A s t u b a n t e n n a w i l l be
used d u r i n g a s c e n t and t h e p e r i o d p r i o r t o d e p l o y i n g t h e
o r b i t antennas.
A s e p a r a t e f i v e - w a t t S-band t r a n s m i t t e r , w i t h i t s own
h e l i c a l a n t e n n a , sends a l l v e r y h i g h r a t e SAR d a t a i n r e a l
t i m e t o s p e c i a l l y - e q u i p p e d STDN s t a t i o n s . SAR a n a l o g wide-
band d a t a i s a c q u i r e d o n l y when one of these s t a t i o n s i s i n
view of t h e s a t e l l i t e .

Ground commands, which can be t r a n s m i t t e d t o t h e


s a t e l l i t e a t 2 , 0 0 0 b i t s p e r second, are of t w o t y p e s , r e a l
t i m e and s t o r e d program commands, and p r o v i d e c o n t r o l of
s a t e l l i t e and s e n s o r o p e r a t i o n s . A l l commands are 6 4 - b i t
words decoded on t h e s a t e l l i t e . R e a l t i m e commands a r e
s e n t s i n g l y and e x e c u t e d immediately upon r e c e i p t . Stored
program commands, s t o r e d i n t h e command memory f o r execu-
t i o n of a sequence of e v e n t s , are f o r m a t t e d i n t o messages
of up t o 6 4 commands. Each of t w o redundant memories
s t o r e s 768 commands, a l l o w i n g t h e Seasat t o o p e r a t e auto-
m a t i c a l l y f o r up t o 20 o r b i t s . Commands cannot be s t o r e d
f o r e x e c u t i o n m o r e t h a n s i x days a f t e r t h e y are l o a d e d i n t o
t h e memory.
During normal o p e r a t i o n s , command l o a d frequency w i l l
b e one 256-command l o a d e v e r y f i v e t o 1 2 h o u r s . During
h i g h - a c t i v i t y p e r i o d s , more f r e q u e n t l o a d s may be r e q u i r e d .
Data t e l e m e t e r e d from S e a s a t - A w i l l c o n s i s t of en-
g i n e e r i n g and s e n s o r measurements p r e p a r e d f o r t r a n s m i s s i o n
by t h e t e l e m e t r y f o r m a t t e r .

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Encoded i n f o r m a t i o n w i l l i n d i c a t e v o l t a g e s , p r e s s u r e s ,
t e m p e r a t u r e s and o t h e r v a l u e s measured by t h e s p a c e c r a f t
t e l e m e t r y s e n s o r s as w e l l as payload s e n s o r d a t a which can
be t r a n s l a t e d l a t e r i n t o g e o p h y s i c a l measurements.

I n r e a l t i m e o p e r a t i o n , d a t a i s s e n t t o one of two
t a p e r e c o r d e r s and t o t h e t r a n s m i t t e r , s i m u l t a n e o u s l y , a t
25 k i l o b i t s p e r second. During p l a y b a c k , one t a p e r e c o r d e r
modulates t h e downlink a t 800 kbps w h i l e t h e o t h e r recor-
der i s s t o r i n g d a t a f o r playback. The 3 2 : l playback-re-
corded r a t i o allows more t h a n t w o o r b i t s of d a t a (EO0 m i n -
u t e s ) t o be p l a y e d back t o a STDN s t a t i o n i n l e s s t h a n
seven minutes -- e a s i l y accomplished i n s i n g l e s t a t i o n p a s s .

N o SAR d a t a i s r e c o r d e d . The SAR o p e r a t e s o n l y 10 t o


1 5 minutes d u r i n g selected o r b i t s ( a b o u t 4 p e r c e n t of t h e
m i s s i o n t i m e ) a s i t o v e r f l i e s one of f i v e ground s t a t i o n s
which can receive t h e widebank t e l e m e t r y stream. The on-
board SAR d a t a and t r a n s m i s s i o n systems o p e r a t e i n d e p e n d e n t l y
o f t h e s a t e l l i t e communications system.

T r a c k i n g The S p a c e c r a f t

To achieve t h e desired o r b i t a l period, e c c e n t r i c i t y


and a l t i t u d e a c c u r a c i e s and t o s u p p o r t s c i e n c e d a t a pro-
cessing, very precise o r b i t determination i s required.
Three independent t r a c k i n g systems p r o v i d e t h e n e c e s s a r y
measurements.

For t h e s t a n d a r d Doppler t r a c k i n g d a t a , t h e S-band


s i g n a l w i t h r a n g i n g codes i n s e r t e d i s t r a n s m i t t e d f r o m t h e
STDN s t a t i o n s , r e c i e v e d a t t h e s a t e l l i t e changed i n f r e -
quency by a known r a t i o and r e - t r a n s m i t t e d t o E a r t h . It is
p o s s i b l e t o d e t e r m i n e p r e c i s e l y t h e t i m e d e l a y and the
Doppler s h i f t of t h e r e c e i v e d s i g n a l , t h e r e b y measuring
r a n g e and v e l o c i t y r e l a t i v e t o t h e ground s t a t i o n . T h i s
i s c a l l e d c o h e r e n t two-way t r a c k i n g . Noncoherent one-way
t r a c k i n g i s when no u p l i n k s i g n a l i s r e c e i v e d and t h e down-
l i n k c a r r i e r frequency i s p r o v i d e d by an onboard o s c i l l a t o r .
A ground receiver network, c a l l e d TRANET, o p e r a t e d by
t h e Department of Defense, receives a d u a l frequency Dop-
p l e r beacon from Seasat. The t r a c k i n g measurements w i l l
b e used t o supplement t h e STDN S-band t r a c k i n g f o r o r b i t
determination. Onboard equipment i n c l u d e s an u l t r a s t a b l e
CW t r a n s m i t t e r r a d i a t i n g a t 1 6 2 MHz and 324 MHz. Seasat
a l s o w i l l u s e t h i s frequency onboard as t h e s o u r c e f o r
s a t e l l i t e timing.

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-31-

The t h i r d t r a c k i n g system u s e s a w o r l d w i d e network o f


l a s e r s t a t i o n s , some o p e r a t e d by t h e STDN and o t h e r s by
t h e Smithsonian A s t r o p h y s i c a l Observatory. 1Jsed a t s e l e c t e d
times for c a l i b r a t i o n of t h e r a d a r a l t i m e t e r , t h e l a s e r
s i g n a l s , o r i g i n a t i n g a t t h e ground s i t e s , are beamed a t t h e
s a t e l l i t e s , r e f l e c t e d f r o m c o r n e r cube" r e t r o r e f l e c t o r s
and d e t e c t e d on t h e ground. A r i n g of q u a r t z r e f l e c t o r
cubes a b o u t 1 0 1 c m ( 4 0 i n . ) i n d i a m e t e r i s mounted on t h e
s e n s o r module.

Attitude Control
The a s c e n t p o r t i o n of t h e a t t i t u d e c o n t r o l system
p r o v i d e s s t a b i l i z a t i o n of t h e Seasat a f t e r A t l a s s e p a r a t i o n
and d u r i n g t w o f i r i n g s of t h e Agena e n g i n e and c o n t r o l s
d u r a t i o n of t h e e n g i n e burns.
Following o r b i t a l i n s e r t i o n , it a l s o o r i e n t s t h e
s a t e l l i t e from nose-forward t o nose-down and p r o v i d e s
s t a b i l i z a t i o n d u r i n g deployment of a n t e n n a s and s o l a r ar-
r a y s = These f u n c t i o n s a r e performed u s i n g h y d r a z i n e r e a c -
t i o n c o n t r o l t h r u s t e r s f o r a t t i t u d e c o n t r o l and a gyro
r e f e r e n c e u n i t as one a t t i t u d e r e f e r e n c e , augmented by
h o r i z o n s e n s o r s f o r a s h o r t p e r i o d p r i o r t o nose-down.
A t w o t a n k h y d r a z i n e s u p p l y f e e d s s e t s of o r b i t a d j u s t
and r e a c t i o n c o n t r o l t h r u s t e r s .
High-mode t h r u s t e r s , 53.4-newton ( 1 2 l b . ) are used d u r i n g
a s c e n t . For o r b i t a d j u s t maneuvers, t w o 2 2 . 2 - N ( 5 - l b . )
t h r u s t e r s are mounted i n t h e Agena forward s e c t i o n so t h a t
t h r u s t i s a p p l i e d i n e i t h e r d i r e c t i o n alonq t h e o r b i t a l
a x i s . During o r b i t a d j u s t p e r i o d s , l o w mode r e a c t i o n con-
t r o l t h r u s t e r s (1.8-N o r . 4 l b . ) maintain s a t e l l i t e attitude.
referenced t o t h e gyro u n i t .

The i n i t i a l o r b i t a d j u s t maneuver i s designed t o cor-


r e c t i n j e c t i o n e r r o r s and w i l l be conducted about a week
a f t e r launch when p r e c i s e o r b i t d e t e r m i n a t i o n h a s been made
from an u n d i s t u r b e d s a t e l l i t e . Subsequent o r b i t t r i m
maneuvers, planned t o o c c u r n o t m o r e t h a n once a month, w i l l
be used t o compensate f o r a t m o s p h e r i c d r a g , s o l a r p r e s s u r e
and o t h e r s u b t l e o r b i t d e g r a d a t i o n s . P r o p e l l a n t a l l o c a t i o n
h a s been made f o r a t h r e e - y e a r m i s s i o n .

During normal o p e r a t i o n s i n o r b i t , Seasat i s three-


a x i s s t a b i l i z e d by momentum wheels and g r a v i t y g r a d i e n t
techniques.

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-32-

Sensor p o i n t i n g r e q u i r e m e n t s i n c l u d e c o n t r o l t o an ac-
c u r a c y of .5 d e g r e e i n r o l l , p i t c h and yaw and t e l e m e t e r e d
d a t a on s a t e l l i t e o r i e n t a t i o n t o an accuracy of .2-degree
i n a l l axes. Scanwheels p r o v i d e p i t c h and r o l l r e f e r e n c e s
viewing t h e E a r t h ' s h o r i z o n and p i t c h and r o l l f i n e con-
t r o l . Y a w a t t i t u d e i s m a i n t a i n e d by gyrocompassing. Sun
s e n s o r d a t a i s used t o d e t e r m i n e a c c u r a t e l y yaw o r i e n t a t i o n ,
b u t i s n o t used f o r c o n t r o l . T h e scanwheels a r e mounted a t
t h e lower end o f t h e s e n s o r module n e a r a l l of t h e c r i t i c a l
a n t e n n a s . P i t c h momentum wheel and roll r e a c t i o n w h e e l are
l o c a t e d i n a s u p p o r t s t r u c t u r e above t h e s e n s o r module.
Excess momentum accumulated i n t h e wheels i s removed by pro-
v i d i n g a d j u s t i b l e t o r q u e on t h e s a t e l l i t e u s i n g e l e c t r o -
magnets which i n t e r a c t w i t h t h e E a r t h ' s magnetic f i e l d .

Sensor Module

The s e n s o r module i s a p l a t f o r m f o r t h e o p e r a t i o n o f
t h e f i v e s e n s o r s t o achieve t h e mission o b j e c t i v e s w i t h i n
t h e r e q u i r e d r e s o l u t i o n and accuracy. The s e n s o r s are l o -
cated i n p o s i t i o n s r e l a t i v e t o one a n o t h e r and t o t h e bea-
con, l a s e r r e t r o r e f l e c t o r and communications a n t e n n a s so
t h a t e a c h h a s an u n o b s t r u c t e d f i e l d o f view and e a c h
a c h i e v e s t h e r e q u i r e d p o i n t i n g and s c a n a n g l e . Mounting
p o s i t i o n s a l s o were selected t o p r e v e n t e l e c t r o m a g n e t i c
i n t e r f e r e n c e between m u l t i p l e r a d i a t i n g s o u r c e s .
The s e n s o r module's primary s t r u c t u r e i s a 25.4-cm
( 1 0 - i n . ) - d i a m e t e r aluminum a l l o y t u b u l a r m a s t t o which
equipment mounts are a t t a c h e d .
Two scanwheel assemblies are mounted n e a r t h e forward
end on t u b u l a r s u p p o r t s t o g i v e each u n i t a c l e a r v i e w o f
E a r t h ' s horizon.
The Radar A l t i m e t e r (ALT) i s mounted a t t h e end o f t h e
m a s t s t r u c t u r e -- n e a r e s t t h e E a r t h -- t h e one-meter d i a m e t e r
r e f l e c t o r a n t e n n a and RF u n i t on t h e forward end and t h e
s i g n a l p r o c e s s o r t o t h e s i d e . The r i n g of c o r n e r cube
q u a r t z r e f l e c t o r s f o r t h e l a s e r t r a c k i n g system s u r r o u n d s
t h e a l t i m e t e r a n t e n n a and RF e l e c t r o n i c s module.

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-33-

The Microwave S c a t t e r o m e t e r (SASS) and Doppler beacon


t r a n s m i t t e r f o r t h e TRANET t r a c k i n g system are mounted i n a
s u p p o r t s t r u c t u r e on t h e s i d e of t h e mast. Four s l o t t e d
a r r a y s t i c k a n t e n n a s f o r t h e SASS are stowed a g a i n s t t h e
s t r u c t u r e and each deployed s e p a r a t e l y . The TRANET antenna
i s a t t a c h e d t o a d e p l o y a b l e boom which a l s o s u p p o r t s one of
t h e t w o S-band communications a n t e n n a s . T h e second i s de-
ployed on a s e p a r a t e boom.
The V i s i b l e and I n f r a r e d Radiometer ( V I R R ) c o n s i s t s o f
a s c a n n e r mounted on a d e p l o y a b l e boom and e l e c t r o n i c s o n
t h e mast t u b e .

T h e f i v e - c h a n n e l Scanning M u l t i f r e q u e n c y Microwave
Radiometer (SMMR) i s mounted as a s i n g l e u n i t on t h e s i d e
of t h e s e n s o r module s t r u c t u r e . T h e u n i t i n c l u d e s f i x e d
o f f s e t p a r a b o l i c r e f l e c t o r , s c a n mechanism and d i g i t a l pro-
cessor.
The S y n t h e t i c A p e r t u r e Radar (SAR) antenna and elec-
t r o n i c s a r e i n s t a l l e d n e a r t h e base of t h e s e n s o r module.
The huge SAR s e n s o r a n t e n n a i s i n e i g h t segments, f o l d e d
d u r i n g l a u n c h and deployed t o form a f l a t r e c t a n g u l a r ar-
r a y w i t h an area of 2 3 sq. m (245 sq. f t . ) The SAR down-
l i n k t r a n s m i t t e r i s mounted on t h e m a s t and i t s h e l i c a l
antenna i s deployed on a s h o r t boom.

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-34-

PAYLOAD

Radar Altimeter
The Radar Altimeter traces a 2 to 10 km (1.25 to
6.25 mi.) wide path (dependent on surface roughness), on
a line directly below the satellite. The Radar Altimeter
measures average wave height to within 10 per cent over a range
of 2 to 20 m ( 6 to 65 ft.) and the height of t'he spacecraft
above the ocean to a precision of 10 cm ( 4 in.).
The height measurements should allow determination of
sea-surface topographic features that correspond to ocean
tides, storm surges and currents.
The altimeter generates a 13.56 gigahertz chirp signal
at two kilowatts peak power. The signal is radiated to Earth
through a 1-m (39-in.) antenna that looks at the sub-spacecraft
point.
The reflected signal, when received at the spacecraft, is
amplified, converted from analog to digital and processed
digitally in the sensor.
That processing includes:
0 Acquisition and tracking of the returned signal;
Development of estimates of altitude and wave state;
Relaying the onboard measurements and other data for
transmission to Earth for additional processing.
The Radar Altimeter uses 177 watts and weighs 9 3 . 8 kg
(206.8 Ib.). Dr. Byron Tapley of the University of Texas
is team leader.

Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR)


The Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer data are
used to derive sea surface temperatures, wind speed and
atmospheric water content. It measures absolute levels and
relative variations in the microwave radiation it receives
from the surface.
The instrument measures surface temperature with a
precision of 1 1 / 2 to 2 degrees Celsius (2.7 to 3.6 degrees
Fahrenheit); wind speeds up to 50 meters per second (110 miles
an hour); and provides atmospheric correction data to other
instruments by measuring water vapor content in the atmosphere.
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-35-

It observes an area beneath the satellite 690 km (430 mi.)


wide.
SMMR uses a scanning 42-degree-offset parabolic antenna
to receive the signal from Earth, It measures horizontal and
vertical polarization components of microwave radiation at 6.6
gigahertz, 10.69 GHz, 18.0 GHz, 21.0 GHz and 37.0 GHz. The
signal is then converted from analog to digital in the
instrument and is fed into the satellite telemetry data
stream to Earth for final processing.
The Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer uses
59.66 watts of power. It weighs 53.9 kg (118.8 lb.).
Duncan R o s s of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorologic
Laboratory, Miami, Fla., is team leader.

Microwave Scatterometer (SASS)


The Scatterometer measures fine-scale ocean-surface
roughness caused by surface winds. The measurements can be
converted directly into wind speed and direction.
The Scatterometer measures wind speed from 4 m/s (9 mph)
to 48 m/s (107 mph), to an accuracy of 10 per cent or 2 m/s
(4.5 mph), whichever is greater, and wind direction to 20
per cent,
The instrument measures wind speed and direction in two
surface swaths on each side of the spacecraft, each 500 km
(310 mi.) wide. The scatterometer can measure wind speed
only for an additional 250 km (155 mi.) on each side of the
main swaths.
The SASS generates a 14.6 gigahertz signal at 100-watt
peak power that is radiated to Earth through four fan-beam
antennas that have vertical and horizontal polarization.
The reflected signal is received, amplified and converted
from analog to digital within the sensor. It is then routed
to the satellite data system for transmission to Earth for
processing.
The electronics assembly weighs 59 kg (130 lb.) , and
each antenna weighs 11 kg (24 lb.) for a total weight of
103 kg (227 lb.).
Professor Willard J. Pierson of the City University of
New York is team leader.
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-36-

Visual and Infrared Radiometer (VIRR)


The Visual and Infrared Radiometer is not a microwave
instrument; its primary purpose is to provide supporting data
for the four microwave experiments.
The VIRR will provide images of atmospheric conditions,
cloud coverage patterns, ocean and coastal features: it will
also provide sea surface temperature maps.
Visual image resolution will be 2 km (1.2 mi.): infrared
image resolution will be 4 km (2.4 mi.), over a 2,100-km-wide
(1,300-mi.) surface swath.
Radiation emitted from Earth is collected by an elliptical-
shaped scan mirror that directs it into a dichroic beam
splitter. Infrared radiation is sent to a bolometer detector,
while visible radiation is sent to a silicon PV detector. The
signals are amplified, filtered and sent to the satellite
telemetry system as analoq siqnals. They are diqitized by the
satellite data processing-system for transmission to Earth for
processing.
The instrument, consisting of an electronics module and a
scanner, weighs 8.1 kg (17.85 1b.)- It uses 7.3 watts of
power.
Dr. Paul McClain of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Environmental Satellite Service,
Camp Springs, Md., is team leader.

Synthetic ADerture Radar ( S A R I


The Synthetic Aperture Radar will provide allyweather
pictures of ocean waves, ice fields, icebergs, ice leads
(linear openings in sea ice), fresh water ice, land, snow
cover and coastal conditions. It will also provide ocean
wave spectra including wave direction.
The instrument produces images with resolution of 25 m
(80 ft.) over a swath 100 km (62 mi.) wide. A typical pass
with the instrument will last 10 minutes.
The SAR is the first NASA radar system of its kind designed
to study ocean wave patterns from orbit. The system consists of
a deployable radar antenna 2.1 m (7 ft.) by 10.7 m (35 ft.): a
SAR sensor including a solid-state transmitter, low-noise
receiver and digital controller and a data link to transmit
the radar signal to Earth for processing.
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-37-

The sensor generates a 1.275 GHz chirp signal at 1,000


watts peak power that is radiated to Earth by the radar antenna.
The reflected signal is received on the spacecraft where it is
amplified by the sensor, converted to 2.265 GHz and transmitted
to Earth in analog form by the SAR data link. The signal is
digitized and stored on tape at the tracking station. The
signal is processed into radar images at Jet Propulsion
Laboratory's Radar Imaging Processing Facility.
Because of the high data rate of the radar imagery
(equivalent to 110 million bps), the SAR, with its special
ground equipment, will operate only within line of sight of
specific tracking stations equipped to handle the data.
Those tracking stations are located at Goldstone, Calif.;
Merritt Island, Fla.; and Fairbanks, Alaska. The Canadian
Government is planning to equip a station at St, John's
Newfoundland. The European Space Agency is purchasing
equipment for a tracking station at Oakhangar in southern
England.
The Synthetic Aperture Radar weighs 147 kg (324.5 lb.)
and uses 2 1 6 watts of power.
Dr. Paul Teleki of the U . S . Geological Survey, Reston, Va.,
is team leader.

DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING


The Seasat-A mission data system embraces all project
elements associated with data flow between the satellite and
the experimenter-user community on the ground. (Figure 5)
An end-to-end system design approach has been adopted and will
be implemented by a project data system design team. Consistent
with initial program formulation, NASA will establish proof-of-
concept engineering and geophysical validation of Seasat data
and users will provide the resources required for processing,
analysis, dissemination and application of data peculiar to
their special interests.
The data products of the Seasat sensors must serve a
variety of users in a variety of forms. Weather data is highly
perishable; to be of practical value, operationally, they must
be processed (e.g., formatted, merged, blended and analyzed)
and applied in near real time. Data older than eight hours
are of little interest except for climate studies or model
development. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the
geodesist, whose data are nearly time invariant. The geodesist's
approach to analysis is often to fit and refit data by a
bootstrap approach, finally achieving a best fit model of the
ocean geoid.
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SEASAT-A

OCEAN DATA DlSTRl6UTION PLAN


Figure 5

INSTRUMENT SCIENCE
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
SATELLITE

RATE DATA LINKS

I
w
a,
I

SURFACE TRUTH

STDN - S P A C E F L I G H T T R A C K I N G AN
DATA NETWORK
GSFC - G O D D A R D S P A C E F L I G H T CENTER USER ANALY S IS
DATA DISSEMINATION
FNWC - FLEET N U M E R I C A L WEATHER C E N T R A L ECON. VERIFICATION EXPMTS.
-39-

Some of the users will have sizeable ground data systems


available to assist them in processing and analysis; others
will have only inexpensive terminals with limited processing
capability. Some users care only for specific outputs such
as wind and wave data for use in ship routing: others, such
as university researchers, want as much of the data as
available for application to development of advanced
prediction models. Thus Seasat's end-to-end data system,
consisting of NASA and user facilities equipment and
communication networks, must be flexible and dynamic enough
to meet the demands of this broad spectrum of currently
identified and future user applications.
Data from the satellite will be returned in three
separate streams. The real time stream at 25 kilobits per
second and the 800 kbps playback stream from the Seasat tape
recorders contain all data except that from the Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR). An analog SAR data stream is obtained
in real time only at specially equipped ground stations --
Goldstone, Calif., Fairbanks, Alaska, and Merritt Island,
Fla. -- on special wide-band recorders utilizing Seasat-SAR-
unique equipment. The data tapes will be forwarded directly
to Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for processing.
The SAR data processing facility at JPL contains unique
equipment to correlate the raw radar data recorded at the
selected STDN sites and to produce radar images on film.
Both processing systems at JPL operate in non-real time,
receiving data packages six to 10 days after the data is
acquired.
Two non-NASA ground stations also will receive SAR
telemetry. SAR data received and recorded at a station in
Newfoundland will be processed at JPL and at the Canadian
Centre for Remote Sensing. The European Space Agency operates
the other station, located in England.
All other spacecraft telemetry data are recorded on
either of two on board recorders, 100 per cent of each orbit.
Each of 12 STDN stations throughout the world is equipped to
acquire playback (tape recorder dump) data. After acquisition,
the data are forwarded to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,
Md., where the data are pre-processed and forwarded to JPL for
final processing.
Algorithms, needed to convert the data into information
usable by the ocean experimenters, are developed at JPL and
applied internally as well as provided to user organizations
outside the project.
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-40-

The tracking station at Fairbanks, Alaska, is committed


to provide this same data to the Fleet Numerical Weather
Central Facility (FNWC) at Monterey, Calif., within three
hours after receipt of each playback acquisition. These
data will be forwarded from Alaska to FNWC by commercial
satellite link. FNWC desires data less than 6 hours old
and will use these data in providing Seasat data products
to various users (NOAA, Department of Fisheries, Commercial
Weather Forecasters, etc.).
In addition to this 3-hour requirement, other STDN
stations will be used to attempt to provide global data to
FNWC in a 12-hour time period.
Real time data, approximately once each orbit, will
be provided to the Seasat Project Operations Control Center
(POCC) at Goddard Space Flight Center (by any STDN station)
where spacecraft housekeeping data will be extracted and
displayed for use in spacecraft health monitoring and
configuration control operations.
The STDN will also provide tracking support, both
S-band and laser. Orbit computations support will be
provided by the Mission and Data Operations Directorate
at Goddard, utilizing these tracking data. The STDN
stations are located at: Ascension Island; Santiago,
Chile; Bermuda; Goddard; Goldstone; Guam; Hawaii; Madrid,
Spain; Orroral, Australia; Merritt Island, Fla.; Quito,
Ecuador; and Fairbanks, Alaska. All stations will provide
tracking, telemetry and command capabilities.
Both the Navy and JPL will combine ocean measurements
from local sources with Seasat data. The "surface truth"
data will be obtained from aircraft, ships and instrumented
buoys making measurements along the satellite's target path.

The Navy's Fleet Numerical Weather Center (NOAA)


will distribute the Navy-processed data. NOAA also will
distribute the non-real time data processed at JPL
through the Environmental Data Service.

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-41-

LAUNCH VEHICLE SYSTEM (LVS)

The Launch Vehicle System (LVS) consists of a modified


Atlas-F booster, an interstage adapter (ISA), a modified
fairing and all associated aerospace ground equipment and
facilities. The LVS is 34.6 m (113.5 ft.) overall length
and 3.05 m (10 ft.) in diameter. The fairing is 10.2 m
(32.8 ft.) in length and 3.05 m (10 ft.) in diameter. The
LVS provides the initial boost and guidance to and the aero-
dynamic protection f o r , the satellite system. The Agena
bus portion of the satellite system provides the injection
stage propulsion and guidance functions. A nominal sequence
of events is provided below in Table 2. The flight vehicle
configuration is shown in Figure 6.

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MAJOR LAUNCH EVENTS FOR ATLAS F/SEASAT-A MISSION
Altitude
Event Time Kilometers - Miles

Liftoff 0 0 0

Roll Start 2.0 sec.


Roll Stop 15.0 sec.
Booster Engine Cutoff 2 min. 9.5 sec. 45.7 28.4

Booster Engine Jettison 2 min. 12.6 sec.


Start Guidance Steering 2 min. 27 sec.
Fairing Jettison 3 min. 27.5 sec. 122.4 76.0

Sustainer Engine Cutoff 4 min. 44.4 sec. 173.5 107.8

Start Agena Programmer 4 min. 49.4 sec.


Uncage Satellite System Gyros 5 min. 2.4 sec.
Vernier Engine Cutoff 5 min. 3.4 sec. 185.2 115.3

Satellite System Separation 5 min. 8.9 sec.


Fire Atlas Retro Rockets 5 min. 9.4 sec.
Satellite System 900 Roli Start 5 min. 18.4 sec.
Satellite System 90° Roll Stop 5 min. 54.4 sec.
Agena First Burn 6 min. 23.4 sec.

First Burn Shutdown 10 min. 14.5 sec.


Agena Second Burn 57 min. 28.4 sec.
Second Burn Shutdown 57 min. 34.6 sec. 790.2 491.0
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SEASAT-A MISSION FLIGHT COMPENDIUM

A T L A S VEWER PIIASE
t 1 , 4 0 0 LE THRUST

--?
__ ~--flczE~
5.5 SEC

8
&--
-

(CUDBIU T U 1 2 1

BACKUP
SPACE POSITION
RANGE SAFETY COMMA'D
LHK
P n o m u m DWLETICU
COMMAND
BACWR
A
VLCO Iv) VLiwrfn
ENGINE CUTOFF
(T+30S 5 NOMHAL)

GUIDANCE DlSCWlT(S+lq
ATLAS p n o c n a u m (1119 1)
RANGE SAFZTY COMMAND UNK
(V*o ZIMAIN FUEL CUTOFT)
".

BACKUh
I
WAMTIOH V t 5 . S

COMMAND: GUIDANQ (V+S. 5)


PROCPAMLQR (V+S.S)
FIRE RCTIIOROCUTS (VI()
T m E RCTIIOROCKLTS BIU (VI()

PSS wnisrr szco+z SIC


PSI m m r r BACKUP S E C O +SEC
~
START ACENA TlMlNC S E C 0 6 SEC
START AGENA TlMlNG BIU I C O + 6 S U
-
UNCACE SV GYROS SECO+IO S I C
-
UNCAGE SV GYROS B/U SECOtII) 5 SEC

smcI wsIncu
MCUIP ATLAS?Iux;IIAMMER T430
T R A J E C T O R Y P R O F I L E F O R THE A T L A S F I S E A S A T - A M I S S I O N

FAIRING .

L IFT-OFF

AGENA
90' ROLL
,/ DUMP PROPELLANT
DURING 1/3 ORBIT

FOR 1ST BURN


\
FIRST BURN
THRUST VECTOR
CONTROL

COAST
?*
B \

'\
/J
GYRO
COMPASS
CONTROL

ORIENT AGENA 2ND BURN THRUST


FOR 2ND BURN VECTOR CONTROL
-45-

F l i q h t Vehicle Configuration

4
LMSC -52.5

1 2 4 FAIRING

LMSC 247.0

SATELLITE MATING PLANE


LMSC 384 .O

A-
FAIRING SEPARATION PLANE
LMSC 442.44
FIELD
LMSCU7.0 JO~N~

-T LMSC466.0 FIELD

- GDC 488.5 JOINT

GDC INTERSTAGE ADAPTER


LMSC 547.5
GDC 570.0
GDC

MODIFIED ATLAS-F
/-BOOSTER
34 M

b Figure 6
GDC 1309.98

. .
-46-

SEASAT-A EXPERIMENT TEAMS

Science Steering Group


James A. Dunne, Chairman Jet Propulsion Laboratory
John R. Ape1 Pacific Marine Environmental
Laboratory, NOAA
H. Michael Byrne Pacific Marine Environmental
Laboratory, NOAA (alternate)
Duncan B. Ross Atlantic Oceanographic and
Meteorologic Laboratory, N O M
E. Paul McClain National Environmental
Satellite Service, N O M
John W. Sherman I11 National Environmental
Satellite Service, NOAA
John Wilkerson National Environmental
Satellite Service (alternate)
Samuel L. Smith I11 Naval Surface Weapons Center
Vince E. Noble Naval Research Laboratory
Benjamin Yaplee Naval Research Laboratory
(alternate)
Paul G. Teleki U.S. Geological Survey
Willard Pierson City University of New York
Robert Stewart Scripps Institution of
Oceanography
Byron D. Tapley University of Texas
Rene 0. Ramseier Canadian Department of
the Environment

-more-
-47-

Radar Altimeter
Byron D. Tapley, Team Leader University of Texas
Craig L. Purdy Wallops Flight Center
H. Michael Byrne Pacific Marine Environmental
Laboratory, NOAA
J. M. Diamante Naval Oceanographic Service
Bernard H. Chovitz Naval Oceanographic Service,
NOAA

Bruce Douglas Naval Oceanographic Service


Pat LeDeonibus Environmental Monitoring
and Prediction, NOAA
Leonard Fedor Environmental Research
Laboratory, NOAA
Joseph T. McGoogan Wallops Flight Center
George H. Born Jet Propulsion Laboratory
William Fred Townsend Wallops Flight Center
Hamilton Hagar Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Samuel L. Smith I11 Naval Surface Weapons Center
Jack Lorell Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Charles J. Cohen Naval Surface Weapons Center
Joseph N. Siry Goddard Space Flight Center
Benjamin Yaplee Naval Research Laboratory
David E. Smith Goddard Space Flight Center
E. M. Gaposchkin Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory
F. 0. Vonbun Goddard Space Flight Center
H. Jay Zwally Goddard Space Flight Center
R. J. Anderle Naval Surface Weapons Center

-more-
-48-

Synthetic Aperture Radar


Paul G. Teleki, Team Leader U.S. Geological Survey
Clifford L. Rufenach Wave Propagation Laboratory,
NOAA
Duncan B . Ross Atlantic Oceanographic and
Meteorologic Laboratory, NOAA
John W. Sherman 111 National Environmental
Satellite Service, NOAA
Frank T. Barath Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Omar Shemdin Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Paul E. LaViolette Naval Ocean Research and
Development Activity
Kumar Krishen Johnson Space Center
Robert Beale Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory
William J. Campbell U.S. Geological Survey
Bruce Blanchard Texas A & M University
Richard M. Hayes U.S. Coast Guard
Robert Shuchman Environmental Research
Institute of Michigan
Robert Stewart Scripps Institution of
Oceanography
Rene 0. Ramseier Canadian Department of
the Environment
Frank Gonzales Pacific Marine Environmental
Laboratory, NOAA
Walter E. Brown, Jr. Jet Propulsion Laboratory

-more-
-49-

Radar Scatterometer
Willard Pierson, Team Leader City University of New York
Ledolph Baer Environmental Monitoring and
Prediction, NOAA
Glenn Flittner National Weather Service
Peter G. Black National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Isidore Halberstam Jet Propulsion Laboratory
W. Linwood Jones Langley Research Center
Richard K. Morre University of Kansas
Jack Ernst National Environmental
Satellite Service
W. L. Grantham Langley Research Center

Visual and Infrared Radiometer


E. Paul McClain, Team Leader National Environmental
Satellite Service
Andrew W. McCulloch Goddard Space Flight Center
Oscar C. Huh Coastal Studies Institute,
University of Louisiana -
Robert L. Bernstein Scripps Institution of
Oceanography
Fred Vukovich Research Triangle Institute

-more-
-50-

Scanning Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer


Duncan B. ROSS, Team Leader Atlantic Oceanographic and
Meteorologic Laboratory
John W. Sherman I11 National Environmental
Satellite Service, NOAA
Frank T. Barath Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Eni Njoku Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Joseph M. Stacey Jet Propulsion Laboratory
J . W. Waters J e t Propulsion Laboratory

Per Gloerson Goddard Space Flight Center


Thomas T. Wilheit, Jr. Goddard Space Flight Center
Calvin T. Swift Langley Research Center
Norden E. Huang Wallops Flight Center
James P. Hollinger Naval Research Laboratory
William J. Campbell U.S. Geological Survey
Vincent J. Cardone City University of New York
John C. Alishouse National Environmental
Satellite Service

-more-
-51-

SEASAT-A MISSION TEAM

NASA Headquarters
Dr. Anthony J. Calio Associate Administrator for
Space and Terrestrial
Applications
Dr. Lawrence R. Greenwood Director of Environmental
Observations Systems
S. Walter McCandless, Jr. Program Manager
Norman Pozinsky Acting Associate Administrator
for Space Tracking and Data
Systems
John F. Yardley Associate Administrator for
Space Transportation Systems
Joseph B. Mahon Director, Expendable Launch
Vehicles

Jet Propulsion Laboratory


Dr. Bruce C. Murray Director
Robert J. Parks Assistant Director for
Flight Projects
Walker E. Giberson Project Manager
Dr. James A . Dunne Ocean Experiments Manager
John H. Gerpheide Satellite System Manager
Edwin Pounder Mission Engineering Manager
Anthony J. Spear Sensors Manager
Charles A. Yamarone Information Processing Manager
Richard T. Hayes Project Operations Manager
Willis G. Meeks Chief of Mission Operations

-more-
-52-

Goddard Space F l i g h t C e n t e r

Dr. Robert S. Cooper Director


A l b e r t G. Ferris Director, Mission and
Data O p e r a t i o n s

John B . Zegalia Mission S u p p o r t Manager

L e w i s Research C e n t e r

Dr. Bernard Lubarsky A c t i n g Director

S t e v e n V. Szabo, Jr. C h i e f , Seasat Launch


Vehicle Office

N a t i o n a l Oceanic and Atmospheric A d m i n i s t r a t i o n


John W. Sherman I11 NOAA P r o j e c t Manager

Dr. John R. Ape1 Director, NOAA P a c i f i c


Marine Environmental L a b o r a t o r y

Department of Defense

Capt. Harry L. Bixby, USN DOD Program C o o r d i n a t o r

Capt. Ron E. Hughes, USN Commanding O f f i c e r , F l e e t


Numerical Weather C e n t r a l

D r . V i n c e n t Noble C o o r d i n a t o r , Naval Research


Laboratory

Dr. Charles Martin C o o r d i n a t o r , Defense Mapping


Agency

Department of T r a n s p o r t a t i o n

Richard Hayes C o o r d i n a t o r , U.S. Coast


Guard Programs

Lockheed Missiles & Space Co.

John C . Solvason LMSC Program Manager

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-53-

SEASAT-A CONTRACTORS

Satellite
Lockheed Missiles & Space Satellite System (bus and
Co., Inc. sensor modules): Project
Sunnyvale, Calif. Operations Support
Ball Brothers Research Corp. SAR Antenna
Aerospace Division
Boulder, Colo.
Bell Aerospace, Textron Rocket Engine
Buffalo, N.Y.
Hamilton Standard Division Thrusters
United Technologies Corp.
Windsor Locks, Conn.
Ithaco, Inc. Orbital Attitude Control
Ithaca, N.Y.
Motorola, Inc. Radio Transponder
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Odetics, Inc. Tape Recorders
Anaheim, Calif.
Pressure Systems, Inc. Hydrazine Tanks
Los Angeles, Calif.
Schaeffer Magnetics, Inc. Solar Array Drives
Chatsworth, Calif.

Sensor Svstems
Aerojet General Corp . SASS Antenna
El Monte, Calif.
Andersen Labs, Inc. ALT Radar Pulse Modulator
Bloomfield, Conn.
Applied Physics Laboratory ALT RF and Sensor Integration
Johns Hopkins University and Test, Digital Processing
Laurel, Md. Units and GSE; SAR Data Link

-more-
-54-

General Dynamics Corp. SMMR Antenna Reflector


San Diego, Calif.
General Electric Co. SASS Sensor
Valley Forge, Pa.
Hughes Aircraft Co. SASS Traveling Wave Tube:
El Segundo, Calif. ALT RF Power Amplifier
Martin Marietta Corp. SAR Power Supply
Denver, Colo.
Microwave Research Corp. SMMR Antenna Feed
North Andover, Mass.
Santa B a r b a r a R e s e a r c h C e n t e r V I R R I n s t r u m e n t R e t e s t and
Goleta, Calif. Calibration and Integration
Support
Westinghouse Electric Co. SAR Transmitter
Baltimore, Md.
Zeta Labs ALT Up-converter
Mountain View, Calif.

The following are Seasat-A sensor managers:


Keith D. Fellerman Visible and Infrared
Goddard Space Flight Center Radiometer (VIRR)
Greenbelt, Md.
Joseph M. Stacey Scanning Multichannel
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Microwave Radiometer (SMMR)
Pasadena, Calif.
Fred V. Huber Synthetic Aperture Radar
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (SARI
Pasadena, Calif.
William L. Grantham Microwave Scatterometer
Langley Research Center (SASS)
Hampton, Va.
William A . Brence Radar Altimeter (ALT)
Wallops Flight Center
Wallops Island, Va.

-end-

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