TIROS 10 (Television and InfraRed Observation Satellite) was a sun-synchronous meteorological spacecraft designed to develop improved capabilities for obtaining and using TV cloudcover pictures from satellites and operated as an interim operational satellite. The spin-stabilized spacecraft was in the form of an 18-sided right prism, 107 cm across opposite corners and 56 cm high, with a reinforced baseplate carrying most of the subsystems and a cover assembly (hat).
The satellite was equipped with two identical wide-angle TV cameras with 1.27-cm vidicon for taking earth cloudcover pictures. The pictures could be transmitted directly to either of two ground receiving stations or stored in a tape recorder on board for subsequent playback if the spacecraft was beyond the communication range of the station. The satellite was launched into a near-polar orbit and successfully provided TV coverage of the entire daylight portion of the globe. The TV system operated normally until September 30, 1965, and sporadically through July 31, 1966, when the spacecraft was deactivated.