Mission type | Weather |
---|---|
Operator | NOAA[1] |
COSPAR ID | 1971-091A |
Mission duration | Launch failure |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | RCA Astro |
Launch mass | 687 kilograms (1,515 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | October 21, 1971, 00:00[2] | UTC
Rocket | Delta N6 (572/D-86) |
Launch site | Vandenberg SLC-2E |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Sun-synchronous |
Epoch | Planned |
ITOS-B was a weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was part of a series of satellites called ITOS, or improved TIROS.[3]
ITOS-B was launched on October 21, 1971 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on a Delta N6 (sn. 572/D-86) rocket.[4] It failed to achieve a successful Earth orbit. A malfunction in the second stage launch vehicle caused the spacecraft to reenter the Earth's atmosphere about 1 hour after lift-off.