TIROS-2 Medium-Resolution Scanning Radiometer Level 1 Final Meteorological Radiation Data V001 (TIROS2L1FMRT)

The TIROS-2 satellite was successfully launched on November 23, 1960. The Medium-Resolution Scanning Radiometer experiment successfully returned data for about five months, becoming the first radiometer to make meteorlogical measurements from space. Three follow-on instruments were flown on TIROS-3, -4 and -7.

Initially, all channels performed normally. However, channels 1 and 4 gradually deteriorated and by January 1961 were useless. The signal to noise ratio of channels 3 and 5 was extremely low, and the output was highly questionable.

The instrument is a five channel radiometer with a 55 km footprint at nadir with the following characteristics: Channel 1: 6.0 to 6.5 microns - water vapor absorption Channel 2: 8.0 to 12.0 microns - atmospheric window Channel 3: 0.2 to 6.0 microns - reflected solar radiation Channel 4: 8.0 to 30 microns - terrestial radiation Channel 5: 0.55 to 0.75 microns - response to the TV system The Principal Investigator for these data was Joseph D. Barksdale from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

This product was previously available from the NSSDC with the identifier ESAD-00113 (old ID 60-016A-02A).