\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH DATE: \<COLOUR 0> December 11, 1970
\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH SITE: \<COLOUR 0> Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH VEHICLE: \<COLOUR 0> Delta
\<COLOUR 1> ORBIT: \<COLOUR 0> 1,429/1,473 km
\<COLOUR 1> SIZE: \<COLOUR 0> Box-shaped, 125 cm long, 107 cm square
\<COLOUR 1> WEIGHT: \<COLOUR 0> 306 kg
\<COLOUR 1> COUNTRY: \<COLOUR 0> USA
\<COLOUR 1> COMMENTS: \<COLOUR 0> First operational second-generation weather satellite; known as ITOS (improved Tiros operational system) prior to orbit; NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is ESSA's successor; satellites combine the capability of two ESSA spacecraft and provides total global coverage every 12 hours.