Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
07:56:00
Monday December 11, 1972
Nimbus 5 (also called Nimbus E or Nimbus V) was a meteorological satellite for research and development of sensing technology. It was the fifth successful launch in a series of the Nimbus program. The objective of Nimbus 5 was to test and evaluate advanced sensing technology, and to provide improved photographs of cloud formations. There were 6 science instruments aboard Nimbus 5: 1) Infrared Temperature Profile Radiometer (ITPR) 2) Selective Chopper Radiometer (SCR) 3) Nimbus E Microwave Spectrometer (NEMS) 4) Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) 5) Surface Composition Mapping Radiometer (SCMR) 6) Temperature/Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) Details about these instruments are accessible via the Wiki link.
Low Earth Orbit
1 Payload
770 kilograms
3rd
Mission
3rd
Mission of 1972
104th
Orbital launch attempt