No JavaScript detected Usage of this Website
will be severly limited without JavaScript. Please enable
JavaScript in your Browser.
Instrument: APT
Instrument details
Acronym
APT
Full name
Automatic Picture Transmission
Purpose
Cloud imagery
Short description
Television camera, single VIS cannel, 108° field of view
Background
First installed on TIROS-8, then on Nimbus 1 and 2, then on the operational ESSA series and the initial NOAA satellites. Designed for real-time reception in VHF at inexpensive ground stations, also mobile
Scanning Technique
Snapshot taken in 8 s and then scanned by 800 lines x 800 pixels/line transmitted in real time at the rate of 240 lines/min. Swath ranging from 1200 to 2200 km, depending on the satellite orbital height
Resolution
Ranging from 1.8 to 3 km, depending on the satellite orbital height
Coverage / Cycle
Near-global coverage each day, in daylight
Mass
Power
Data Rate
Analogue: 3.2 kHz base band
Providing Agency
NASA
Instrument Maturity
Flown on operational programme
Utilization Period:
1964 to 1964-09-23
Last update:
2017-03-26
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on
Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a
green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates
future satellites
Instrument classification
Earth observation instrument Passive optical radiometer or spectrometer Moderate resolution optical imager
WIGOS Subcomponents
No WIGOS subcomponents have been defined.
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
Secondary mission objectives
Opportunity objectives Show all Show fewer
Tentative Evaluation of Measurements
The following list indicates which measurements can typically be
retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable,
click on the respective variable.
Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Variable Relevance for measuring this variable Operational limitations Explanation
Cloud cover 5 - marginal Daylight only.. Dense cloud only. VIS channel(s)
Fire fractional cover 5 - marginal Cloud sensitive.. Coarse spatial resolution.. Daylight only. VIS channels
Sea-ice cover 5 - marginal Cloud sensitive.. Daylight only. VIS channel(s)
Snow cover 5 - marginal Cloud sensitive.. Daylight only. VIS channel(s)