BackForward Satellite Programme: NOAA 4th generation / Polar Operational Environmental Satellites 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Series of 7 satellites following the first three of the NOAA 4th generation programme.  Introduced the denomination POES (Polar Operational Environmental Satellites).
  • Improvements in respect of the first three satellites based on the TIROS-N platform: more performing plafform (ATN, Advanced TIROS-N) and introduction of the S&RSAR mission.
  • Programme managed end-to-end by NOAA.
  • The satellites are actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • The design lifetime is 3 years.
  • Two sunsynchronous orbits exploited at any time, around 7:30 and 14:30.
  • The replacement policy is based on launching satellites at roughly 2-year intervals, alternatively in the 7:30 or 14:30 orbits.
  • See detailed description at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/SpacecraftQuery.jsp
Data circulation
  • Selected global data stored onboard and downlinked to the CDA (Command and Data Acquisition station) at Fairbanks.
  • Real-time data broadcast in full resolution (HRPT) and selected frames (APT); and through the beacon (low-bit-rate data).
Agencies NOAA
Programme lifetime 1983 - 2007
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned