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Information and History
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Geostationary Satellites
The Applications Technology Satellite series was a set of six NASA spacecraft
launched from Dec. 7, 1966, to May 30, 1974, created to explore and flight-test
new technologies and techniques for communications, meteorological and
navigation satellites. ATS was a multi-purpose engineering satellite series,
testing technology in communications and meteorology from geosynchronous orbit.
The major objective of the early ATS satellites was to test whether gravity
would anchor the satellite in a synchronous orbit (22,300 statute miles above
the Earth), allowing it to move at the same rate the Earth is turning, thus
seeming to remain stationary. Although the ATS satellites were intended mainly
as test beds, they also collected and transmitted meteorological data and
functioned at times as communications satellites. ATS provided the first color
images from space as well as regular cloud cover images for meteorological
studies.
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