Seasat 1

past Mission

Type

Orbiter

Launch

June 26, 1978

Target

Earth

Objective

Test oceanographic sensors and monitor Earth's seas

One of the earliest Earth-observing satellites, Seasat was designed to test various oceanographic sensors and gain a better understanding of Earth's seas. It measured sea-surface winds and temperatures, wave heights, atmospheric water content, sea ice features, and ocean topography, before succumbing to an onboard short circuit after 105 days.