An artist's conception of a fully integrated environmental monitoring system including satellites, balloons, ships, aircraft, buoys, and data reception and processing facilities.

Graphic of the TIROS wheel satellite

Graphic showing difference of coverage of inclined orbit satellite versus polar orbit satellite.

Graphic showing space-oriented TIROS satellite. Illustrates that camera pointing into space half of time.

Graphic of TIROS meteorological satellite system showing components and photo products.

Graphic showing expected coverage of two TIROS satellites in orbit at same time. Note furthest north and south coverage of inclined orbit satellites.

Graphic of TIROS II orbital path and examples of data products.

Graphic of phenomena measured by TIROS II infrared sensors.

Graphic of Improved TIROS Operational System (ITOS) satellite. satellite series orbital parameters and sensors.

Graphic of Improved TIROS Operational System (ITOS) satellite system data flow.

TIROS M mechanical and thermal test model. TIROS M was known more widely as ITOS 1.

An early TIROS satellite - later models had cameras mounted on sides.

An early TIROS satellite - later models had cameras mounted on sides.

An early TIROS satellite - later models had cameras mounted on sides.

TIROS satellite mated to rocket for launching.

Graphic of ITOS satellite series - included ITOS-1, and NOAA-2 to NOAA-5. ITOS-1 also known as TIROS M.

Graphic of TIROS M, also known as ITOS-1.

ESSA 3 and ESSA 4, satellites of the TIROS Operational System.

Conceptual diagram of ATS, the Applications Technology Satellite series. These satellites were forerunners of the GOES satellite system.

An Improved TIROS Operational System (ITOS)satellite prior to launch.

Graphic of ITOS satellite series - included ITOS-1, and NOAA-2 to NOAA-5. ITOS-1 also known as TIROS M.

An ITOS satellite being readied for launch.

TIROS VI image of a large southern hemisphere extratropical cyclone centered at 39 S, 101E in the Indian Ocean.

Map of TIROS II infrared imagery with accompanying cloud analysis. TIROS II was the first meteorological satellite to carry infra-red remote sensing instruments

Among the most famous of early satellite weather photographs. This image showed an apparently square cloud and a cloud system which enlarged bringing hailstones and tornadoes to central Oklahoma. A TIROS I image.

Composite photograph of northwestern United States from Puget Sound to Lake Superior. Images taken by TIROS IV on Orbit 895 R/O 895

TIROS V, launched June 19, 1962, captures an image of Typhoon Ruth showing distinct eye.

Titled "TIROS fills a void for World Weather Watch." This image show composite imagery in the southern ocean with accompanying weather map and analysis.

Surface weather map of Pacific frontal storm derived from TIROS I data.

First complete view of the World's weather as seen from TIROS IX.

An early infra-red image attempting to map the Gulf Stream off the eastern United States.

An early infra-red image attempting to map the Gulf Stream off the eastern United States.

Sea ice analysis in the Gulf of St. Lawrence showing dramatic change in one week

Contoured sea surface temperature map of the Southern Hemisphere. Derived from ITOS-1 data.

Contoured sea surface temperature map of the Northern Hemisphere. Derived from ITOS-1 data.

Photograph of a Pacific atoll taken by an astronaut.

Launch of TIROS I by a Thor-Able rocket. This was the first meteorological satellite launched into orbit.

Photographs received from TIROS I on second orbit showed Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence River to the left. Gray areas in Gulf were interpreted to be ice by Dr. Harry Wexler of the Weather Bureau. This was first interpretation of sea ice, a major function of satellite imaging today. Monthly Weather Review, May 1960, p. 182.

Mosaic of narrow-angle pictures taken at 10-sec. intervals. First day of TIROS I operation. Monthly Weather Review, October 1961, p. 376.

Two overlapping TIROS I images showing extratropical cyclone centered over southeastern Nebraska. Associated cold front extends south into Gulf of Mexico . Monthly Weather Review, March 1961, p. 80.

Two overlapping TIROS I images showing extratropical cyclone centered over southeastern Nebraska. Associated cold front extends south into Gulf of Mexico . Monthly Weather Review, September-December 1960, p. 317.

Two overlapping TIROS I images showing extratropical cyclone centered about 400 miles west of Ireland. Monthly Weather Review, March 1961, p. 80.

TIROS I image of extratropical cyclone centered about 400 miles west of Ireland. This is the same storm shown in image spac0098. Monthly Weather Review, March 1961, p. 81.

TIROS I image of extratropical cyclone centered about 800 miles west of Southern California. Monthly Weather Review, March 1960, p. 84.

TIROS I image of tropical storm located north of New Zealand. This is the first tropical storm captured by a meteorological satellite camera. Monthly Weather Review, March 1960, p. 85.

TIROS I image showing cyclone centered at 17W, 45 S in South Atlantic. Monthly Weather Review, July 1961, p. 235.

Gridded photograph of Frame 7 from the TIROS I pass 659. Cloud masses A and B were associated with severe weather. Cloud mass B spawned tornadoes near the Illinois-Missouri border. Monthly Weather Review, November 1961, p. 449.

Gridded photograph of Frame 11 from the TIROS I pass 659. Cloud masses A and B were associated with severe weather. Cloud mass B spawned tornadoes near the Illinois-Missouri border. Monthly Weather Review, November 1961, p. 449.

A composite of TIROS III pictures. The main cloud mass located near 12 N, 43 W later developed into Hurricane Anna. The picture projects down on to the map. The dashed lines correlate photography with the cloud interpretation on the map.

Hurricane Anna at Latitude 14.1N, Longitude 72.4 W. The coast of Colombia is to left of storm and under center cross.