On this day in history...

...in 1969, NASA launched the Nimbus-3 satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Equipped with the Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS), Nimbus-3 provided some of the earliest global observations of Earth's atmospheric and surface temperatures using infrared technology. While not exclusively designed for Sea Surface Temperature measurements, this mission laid the groundwork for future satellite-based oceanographic studies.

Sources

• NASA's Earth Observing System: eospso.nasa.gov/missions/nimbus-3
• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1969-037A

Picture available at NASA website.