ESSA-3

Mission type	Weather satellite
Operator	ESSA/NASA
COSPAR ID	1966-087A
SATCAT no.	2435
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	RCA Astro
Launch mass	145 kilograms (320 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date	October 2, 1966, 10:34 (1966-10-02UTC10:34Z) UTC[2]
Rocket	Delta C
Launch site	Vandenberg LC-2E
End of mission
Disposal	Decommissioned
Deactivated	December 2, 1968 (1968-12-03)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Eccentricity	0.00703
Perigee altitude	1,383 kilometers (859 mi)
Apogee altitude	1,493 kilometers (928 mi)
Inclination	100.9°
Period	114.6 minutes
Epoch	October 2, 1966
TOS ← ESSA-2 ESSA-4 →

ESSA-3 (or TOS-A) was a spin-stabilized operational meteorological satellite. Its name was derived from that of its oversight agency, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA).

Launch

ESSA-3 was launched on October 2, 1966, at 10:34 UTC. It was launched atop a Delta rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The spacecraft had a mass of 132 kilograms (291 lb) at the time of launch. ESSA-3 had an inclination of 100.9°, and an orbited the Earth once every 114 minutes. Its perigee was 1,383 kilometers (859 mi) and its apogee was 1,493 kilometers (928 mi).