BackForward Satellite Programme: Orbview-1 (former: MicroLab) 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Single-satellite programme, for new atmospheric sensors development.
  • Programme organised on commercial basis by Orbital Imaging Corporation (ORBIMAGE), changing name to GeoEye in 2006.  Instruments provided by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the University Consortium for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in collaboration with NASA/JPL.
  • The platform is 3-axis stabilised by gravity gradient.
  • The design life time is 2 years.
  • The satellite is in a high-inclination drifting orbit.
  • See detailed descriptions at https://directory.eoportal.org/missions/orbview-1. http://thunder.msfc.nasa.gov/otd and http://www.cosmic.ucar.edu/gpsmet/index.html
Data circulation
  • Mission operated by the Satellite Operations Center (SOC) of ORBIMAGE at Dulles, VA.
  • Processing and distribution performed by the institutes providing the instruments (MSFC and UCAR).
Agencies NASA , UCAR
Programme lifetime 1995 - 2000
Associated satellites and instruments

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