The Coastal Zone Color Scanner Experiment (CZCS), a multi-channel scanning Radiometer onboard NASA’s NIMBUS-7 spacecraft, launched Oct 1978 and ended in June 1986, was designed to map chlorophyll concentration in water, sediment distribution, gelbstoff concentrations as a salinity indicator, and temperature of coastal waters and ocean currents.
The craft was placed in sun synchronous orbit and transmission of data from all of the experiments was completed as scheduled. For the first time NASA and ESA were able to receive data on the global atmosphere in real time

• More on Nimbus-7
• The Coastal Zone Color Scanner Experiment

• Product Details
• Reference Documents

Operators: NASA, NOAA
Date of Launch: 24.10.1978
Status:Out of service since 1986
Orbit Height: 955 km
Orbit Type: Sun Synchronous
Repeat Cycle:6 days
Resolution: 825 m
Swath Width: 1556 km

Onboard Sensors:
+ CZCS, ERB, LIMS, SAM II, SAMS,
+ SBUV/TOMS, SMMR, THIR