| TIROS-9 | |
| Mission Type: | Weather satellite |
| Operator: | NASA |
| Cospar Id: | 1965-004A |
| Satcat: | 978 |
| Spacecraft Type: | TIROS |
| Manufacturer: | RCAGSFC |
| Launch Mass: | 138.3kg (304.9lb)[1] |
| Dimensions: | 1.07x |
| Launch Date: | UTC[2] |
| Launch Rocket: | Thor-Delta C 374/D-28 |
| Launch Site: | Cape Canaveral LC-17A |
| Orbit Epoch: | January 22, 1965 |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth |
| Orbit Periapsis: | 705km (438miles) |
| Orbit Apoapsis: | 2582km (1,604miles) |
| Orbit Inclination: | 96.43° |
| Orbit Eccentricity: | 0.11693 |
| Orbit Period: | 119.23 minutes |
| Apsis: | gee |
| Instruments: | Television Camera System |
| Programme: | TIROS |
| Previous Mission: | TIROS-8 |
| Next Mission: | TIROS-10 |
TIROS-9 (also called TIROS-I or A-54) was a spin-stabilized meteorological satellite. It was the ninth in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.
TIROS-9 was launched on January 22, 1965, by a Thor-Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The spacecraft functioned nominally until February 15, 1967. The satellite orbited the Earth once every 2 hours, at an inclination of 96°. Its perigee was 705km (438miles) and apogee was 2582km (1,604miles).[1]
TIROS-9 was a spin-stabilized meteorological spacecraft designed to test experimental television techniques and infrared equipment. The satellite was in the form of an 18-sided right prism, 107 cm in diameter and 56 cm high. The top and sides of the spacecraft were covered with approximately 9000 1-by 2-cm silicon solar cells. It was equipped with 2 independent television camera subsystems for taking cloudcover pictures, plus an omnidirectional radiometer and a five-channel scanning radiometer for measuring radiation from the earth and its atmosphere. The satellite spin rate was maintained between 8 and 12 rpm by use of five diametrically opposed pairs of small, solid-fuel thrusters.
The TV system operated normally until April 1, 1965, when one of the wide-angle TV cameras failed. The other camera operated normally until July 26, 1965, and sporadically until February 15, 1967. TIROS 9 was the first satellite in the TIROS series to be placed in a near-polar orbit, thereby increasing TV coverage to the entire daylight portion of the Earth.[3]