Data coverage
TIROS-2 Medium-Resolution Scanning Radiometer Level 1 Final Meteorological Radiation Data (FMRT) product contains radiances expressed in five infrared/visible wavelength regions, expressed in either equivalent blackbody temperature (IR channels 1 and 2) or effective radiant emmitance (visible channels 3 and 5). The data will trace an elliptical, parabolic, or hyperbolic pattern on the ground due to the rotating of the instrument about the satellite spin axis. There is one orbit per file. The data were originally written on IBM 7094 machines, and these have been recovered from magnetic tapes, referred to as the Final Meteorological Radiation Tapes (FMRT). The data are archived in their original IBM 36-bit word proprietary format, also referred to as a binary TAP file. The TIROS-2 satellite was successfully launched on November 23, 1960. The Medium-Resolution Scanning Radiometer experiment successfully returned data for about five months, becoming the first radiometer to make meteorlogical measurements from space. Three follow-on instruments were flown on TIROS-3, -4 and -7. Initially, all channels performed normally. However, channels 1 and 4 gradually deteriorated and by January 1961 were useless. The signal to noise ratio of channels 3 and 5 was extremely low, and the output was highly questionable. The instrument is a five channel radiometer with a 55 km footprint at nadir with the following characteristics: Channel 1: 6.0 to 6.5 microns - water vapor absorption Channel 2: 8.0 to 12.0 microns - atmospheric window Channel 3: 0.2 to 6.0 microns - reflected solar radiation Channel 4: 8.0 to 30 microns - terrestial radiation Channel 5: 0.55 to 0.75 microns - response to the TV system The Principal Investigator for these data was Joseph D. Barksdale from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This product was previously available from the NSSDC with the identifier ESAD-00113 (old ID 60-016A-02A). TIROS3L1ORT The TIROS-3 Low-Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer Level 1 Temperature Data product contains the black and white sensor temperature values in degrees Celsius. The experiment consisted of two sets of bolometers in the form of hollow aluminum hemispheres, mounted on opposite sides of the spacecraft, and whose optical axes were parallel to the spin axis. The bolometers were thermally isolated from but in close proximity to reflecting mirrors so that the hemispheres behaved like isolated spheres in space. The experiment was designed to measure the amount of solar energy absorbed, reflected, and emitted by the earth and its atmosphere in order to calculate the Earth's radiation budget. The data were originally written on IBM 7094 machines, and these have been recovered from magnetic tapes, referred to as the Omnidirectional Radiometer Temperature (ORT) tapes. The data are archived in their original text format. The TIROS-3 satellite was successfully launched on July 12, 1961. The Low-Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer experiment returned data for about three months. Two follow-on instruments were flown on TIROS-4 and -7, while a similar instrument flew on Explorer-7. The Principal Investigator for these data was Verner E. Suomi from the University of Wisconsin. This product was previously available from the NSSDC with the identifier ESAD-00187 (old id 61-017A-01A). TIROS3L1FMRT TIROS-3 Medium-Resolution Scanning Radiometer Level 1 Final Meteorological Radiation Data (FMRT) product contains radiances expressed in five infrared/visible wavelength regions, expressed in either equivalent blackbody temperature (IR channels 1, 2 and 4) or effective radiant emmitance (visible channels 3 and 5). The data will trace an elliptical, parabolic, or hyperbolic pattern on the ground due to the rotating of the instrument about the satellite spin axis. There is one orbit per file. The data were originally written on IBM 7094 machines, and these have been recovered from magnetic tapes, referred to as the Final Meteorological Radiation Tapes (FMRT). The data are archived in their original IBM 36-bit word proprietary format, also referred to as a binary TAP file. The TIROS-3 satellite was successfully launched on July 12, 1961. The Medium-Resolution Scanning Radiometer experiment returned data for about two and a half months. A previous instrument flew on TIROS-2 and two follow-on instruments were flown on TIROS-4 and -7. Response characteristics of all channels degraded rapidly after launch. The greatest uncertainty in the radiation measurements is due to the apparent shift in the zero radiation level. Data are usable for channels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 up to orbits 118, 875, 875, 130 and 300, respectively. The instrument is a five channel radiometer with a 55 km footprint at nadir with the following characteristics: Channel 1: 6.0 to 6.5 microns - water vapor absorption Channel 2: 8.0 to 12.0 microns - atmospheric window Channel 3: 0.2 to 6.0 microns - reflected solar radiation Channel 4: 8.0 to 30 - terrestial radiation Channel 5: 0.55 to 0.75 microns - response to the TV system The Principal Investigator for these data was Joseph D. Barksdale from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This product was previously available from the NSSDC with the identifier ESAD-00141 (old id 61-017A-03A). TIROS4L1ORR The TIROS-4 Low-Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer Level 1 Radiance Data product contains the longwave radiation values in Langleys/min derived from the black and white sensors. The experiment consisted of two sets of bolometers in the form of hollow aluminum hemispheres, mounted on opposite sides of the spacecraft, and whose optical axes were parallel to the spin axis. The bolometers were thermally isolated from but in close proximity to reflecting mirrors so that the hemispheres behaved like isolated spheres in space. The experiment was designed to measure the amount of solar energy absorbed, reflected, and emitted by the earth and its atmosphere in order to calculate the Earth's radiation budget. The data were originally written on IBM 7094 machines, and these have been recovered from magnetic tapes, referred to as the Omnidirectional Radiometer Radiance (ORR) tapes. The data are archived in their text format. The TIROS-4 satellite was successfully launched on February 8, 1962. The Low-Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer experiment returned data for about five months. A previous instrument flew on TIROS-3 and a follow-on instrument was flown on TIROS-7, while a similar instrument flew on Explorer-7. The Principal Investigator for these data was Verner E. Suomi from the University of Wisconsin. This product was previously available from the NSSDC with the identifier ESAD-00152 (old id 62-002A-01B). TIROS4L1ORT The TIROS-4 Low-Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer Level 1 Temperature Data product contains the black and white sensor temperature values in degrees Celsius. The experiment consisted of two sets of bolometers in the form of hollow aluminum hemispheres, mounted on opposite sides of the spacecraft, and whose optical axes were parallel to the spin axis. The bolometers were thermally isolated from but in close proximity to reflecting mirrors so that the hemispheres behaved like isolated spheres in space. The experiment was designed to measure the amount of solar energy absorbed, reflected, and emitted by the earth and its atmosphere in order to calculate the Earth's radiation budget. The data were originally written on IBM 7094 machines, and these have been recovered from magnetic tapes, referred to as the Omnidirectional Radiometer Temperature (ORT) tapes. The data are archived in their text format. The TIROS-4 satellite was successfully launched on February 8, 1962. The Low-Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer experiment returned data for about five months. A previous instrument flew on TIROS-3 and a follow-on instrument was flown on TIROS-7, while a similar instrument flew on Explorer-7. The Principal Investigator for these data was Verner E. Suomi from the Unive
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