By NASA – http://www.nasa.gov/lb/vision/earth/features/bm_gallery_3.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=306270
Building on the partial success of Vanguard 2, TIROS-1 (Television Infrared Observation Satellite 1) ascended into the heavens on April 1, 1960. (No, really—no April Fools joke here.) Unlike Vanguard 2, however, TIROS-1 was the first weather satellite to be considered fully functional, and the first of a total of 45 satellites in the TIROS series, which could be considered the first satellite constellation.
One of the primary objectives was to determine how effective satellites could be in Earth observation, a question that it handily—and positively—answered. Another goal was to use those observations to make informed decisions. The images gathered could be used to determine the strength of storms and also to make recommendations regarding public safety.
Quub continues this tradition with a focus on climatology. Orbital observation—of temperatures, atmospheric gas levels, ground conditions and more, all in real time—will allow scientists access to vastly improved data. This is necessary for changing the way we interact with the only home we have: Earth.
