earth science

NOAA-2

NOAA-2 is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand NOAA-2 rather than just read about it. In short: NOAA-2, also known as ITOS-D, 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.

Key takeaways

NOAA-2 belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect NOAA-2 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NOAA-2 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NOAA-2, also known as ITOS-D, 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. NOAA-2 was launched on a Delta rocket on October 15, 1972. The launch carried one other satellite: AMSAT-OSCAR 6.

Mission of NOAA-2 NOAA 2 was the first in a series of reconfigured ITOS-M satellites launched with new meteorological sensors on board to expand the operational capability of the ITOS system. NOAA 2 was not equipped with conventional TV cameras. It was the first operational weather satellite to rely solely upon radiometric imaging to obtain cloud cover data. The primary objective of NOAA 2 was to provide global daytime and nighttime direct readout real-time cloud cover data on a daily basis. The Sun-synchronous spacecraft was also capable of supplying global atmospheric temperature soundings and very high resolution infrared cloudcover data for selected areas in either a direct readout or a tape-recorder mode. A secondary objective was to obtain global solar-proton flux data on a real-time daily basis. The primary sensors consisted of Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR), a Vertical Temperature Profile Radiometer (VTPR), and a Scanning Radiometer (SR). The VHRR, VTPR, and SR were mounted on the satellite baseplate with their optical axes directed vertically earthward. The nearly cubical spacecraft measured 1 by 1 by 1.2 meters (3.3 ft × 3.3 ft × 3.9 ft). The satellite was equipped with three curved solar panels that were folded during launch and deployed after orbit was achieved. Each panel measured over 4.2 meters (14 ft) in length when unfolded and was covered with approximately 3,500 solar cells measuring 2 by 2 centimeters (0.79 in × 0.79 in). The NOAA 2 dynamics and attitude control system maintained desired spacecraft orientation through gyroscopic principles incorporated into the satellite design. Earth orientation of the satellite body was maintained by taking advantage of the precession induced from a momentum flywheel so that the satellite body precession rate of one revolution per orbit provided the desired Earth-looking attitude. Minor adjustments in attitude and orientation were made by means of magnetic coils and by varying the speed of the momentum flywheel. The spacecraft operated satisfactorily until March 18, 1974, when VTPR failed. NOAA 2 was then placed in a marginal standby mode from March 19 to July 1, 1974. It was then used as the operational NOAA satellite until October 16, 1974, when it was again placed in a marginal standby mode. The spacecraft was deactivated on January 30, 1975.

Current status The satellite's ITOS imaging system has been heard transmitting a sync signal containing no image, on March 13, 2021, by Scott Tilley, As of January 11, 2023 the satellite continues to broadcast this sync signal, and software made by Alexandre Rouma ON5RYZ/KE8SUI and Jacopo IU1QPT is available for decoding.

References

External links NOAA-2 Satellite Position

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NOAA-2

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NOAA-2 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to NOAA-2 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about NOAA-2 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of NOAA-2

In research: NOAA-2 appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses NOAA-2 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: NOAA-2 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1972 in spaceflight, Spacecraft launched by Delta rockets, Spacecraft launched in 1972, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NOAA-2 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study NOAA-2 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NOAA-2 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain NOAA-2 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NOAA-2 in simple terms?

NOAA-2, also known as ITOS-D, 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.

Why does NOAA-2 matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study NOAA-2?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on NOAA-2.