Skip to main content

Nimbus 5 (or Nimbus-E) was a meteorological satellite launched by NASA into a Sun-synchronous near-polar orbit on December 11, 1972. It was the fifth in a series of second-generation meteorological satellites in the Nimbus program. 

Nimbus 5 was designed to serve as a stabilized, Earth-oriented platform for the testing of advanced meteorological sensor systems and the collection of meteorological and geological data on a global scale. The spacecraft carried the following six instruments:

  • Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR)
  • Infrared Temperature Profile Radiometer (ITPR)
  • Nimbus-E Microwave Spectrometer (NEMS)
  • Surface Composition Mapping Radiometer (SCMR)
  • Selective Chopper Radiometer (SCR)
  • Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR)

The spacecraft operated successfully until March 29, 1983, when it was shut down.

Data

12 Datasets
View Data and Tools

Type

Earth Observation Satellite

Objective

Study Earth's weather, atmosphere, and surface composition

Launch

December 11, 1972

Data Center

GES DISC

Instruments Aboard Nimbus-5

Related Platforms

Nimbus-1

Nimbus-1 was designed to provide both daytime and nighttime global coverage of Earth’s surface characteristics and cloud cover.
Nimbus-2

Nimbus-2 was designed to provide both daytime and nighttime global coverage of Earth's surface characteristics and cloud cover.
Nimbus-3

Nimbus-3 was designed to provide both daytime and nighttime global coverage of Earth’s surface characteristics and cloud cover.
Nimbus-4

Nimbus-4 was designed to serve as a platform for the testing of advanced meteorological sensors and the collection of meteorological data.
Nimbus-5

Nimbus-5 was designed to serve as a platform for the testing of advanced meteorological sensors and the collection of meteorological and surface data.
Nimbus-6

Nimbus-6 was designed to serve as a platform for the testing of advanced meteorological sensors and the collection of meteorological and surface data.
Nimbus-7

Nimbus-7 collected data on pollution and oceanographic and meteorological disciplines.

QUESTIONS & SUPPORT

Have a question?

Get help with NASA Earth science data, datasets, tools, services, and metadata on the Earthdata Forum. Experienced staff in the data user community review and answer questions.

Get help on Earthdata Forum
Earthdata
Forum