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TIROS Meteorological Satellite
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TIROS Meteorological Satellite
TIROS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) I, launched in April 1960, was the world's first weather satellite. TIROS imaged large swaths of the Earth's surface, allowing forecasters and scientists to see directly for the first time the large-scale features of our planet's weather systems. Operating for three months, the satellite transmitted thousands of images of cloud patterns and other phenomena to ground stations.
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Usage Conditions May Apply
- Usage Conditions Apply
- There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
-
Usage Conditions May Apply
- Usage Conditions Apply
- There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
- IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu
- View Manifest
- View in Mirador Viewer
TIROS Meteorological Satellite
Eighteen-sided cylindrical prism; covered with solar cells on sides and top; attached to base are four antennas, two cameras, and other instrumentation; one antenna attached at top.
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Usage Conditions May Apply
- Usage Conditions Apply
- There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
-
Usage Conditions May Apply
- Usage Conditions Apply
- There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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TIROS Meteorological Satellite
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TIROS 1
This spacecraft was a backup for TIROS I and II and was used in ground testing. It is in the Museum's collection.
Display Status:
This object is on display in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

Collection Item Summary:
TIROS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) I, launched in April 1960, was the world's first weather satellite. TIROS imaged large swaths of the Earth's surface, allowing forecasters and scientists to see directly for the first time the large-scale features of our planet's weather systems. Operating for three months, the satellite transmitted thousands of images of cloud patterns and other phenomena to ground stations.
TIROS I, and a series of successor test satellites, provided the technical experience to start separate civilian and military space-based weather observation programs. By the mid 1960s, the civilian TIROS program launched a series of satellites to provide routine, daily weather observations. The program is still in operation today and, in conjunction with other weather satellites, has made space-based weather observations a commonplace of contemporary life.
This spacecraft was a backup for TIROS I and II and was used in ground testing. NASA transferred the artifact to the Museum in 1965.