TIROS-1 was the first successful weather satellite launched by the United States.
Launched on April 1, 1960, TIROS-1 was part of the Television Infrared Observation Satellite program. It carried two television cameras that photographed cloud cover from orbit, giving meteorologists a new way to observe large-scale weather systems beyond the limits of ground-based stations and aircraft.
The satellite operated for only 78 days before a power failure ended its transmissions, but it returned about 22,000 pictures. Those images demonstrated that satellites could provide valuable, timely information about clouds and storms over oceans and remote regions.
TIROS-1 was not the first artificial satellite or the first object sent into space for weather research. It was the first successful weather-observation satellite, following the unsuccessful Vanguard 2 weather mission. Later systems, including Nimbus and the GOES series, added improved instruments and continuous coverage.