ESSA-8 was a weather satellite launched by NASA on December 15, 1968. It operated for 2,644 days until it was deactivated on March 12, 1976. ESSA-8 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. ESSA-8 was an 18-sided polygon. It measured centimetres ( in) in diameter by inch (cm) in height, with a mass of kilograms ( lb). It was made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel covered with 10,020 solar cells. The cells charged 63 nickel–cadmium batteries, which served as a power source. The satellite could take 8 to 10 pictures every 24 hours. Each photo covered a -square-kilometre (sq mi) area at a resolution of kilometres ( mi) per pixel.