The world's first "operational meteorological satellite," ESSA-1, is launched 3 February 1966.
ESSA satellites were placed into near polar sun-synchronous orbits, each providing global observations in the visible on a daily basis (each earth location observed once per day, same time each day).
Nine ESSA satellites provide daily video coverage of the daylit earth and day/night low-resolution infrared coverage from 1966 to 1969.
On 16 September 1966, the U.S. Air Force launches its first in a series of seven polar-orbiting satellites equipped with video cameras.