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OSO

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OSO Credit: NASA

Status: Operational 1962. First Launch: 1962-03-07. Last Launch: 1975-06-21. Number: 9 .

The OSOs permitted the first extended study of the sun (from above the earth's filtering atmosphere) with accurate positioning. Experiments on the satellites studied the sun, flares and other solar activities, X-ray, gamma and ultraviolet radiation and radiation from extra-solar sources.

The two section space observatory was stabilized because the lower section, the "wheel," spinned as a gyroscope at a near constant 30 revolutions per minute. The upper fan-shaped section, the "sail," was joined to the wheel by a connecting shaft and remained pointed toward the sun during the OSO daytime. Experiments in the wheel scanned the sun every 2 seconds and those in the sail pointed continuously at the sun. The OSO was placed in orbit 565 km above earth by a Delta booster and circled the earth every 96 minutes. Each spacecraft weighed from 200 to 280 kg (including experiments) and carried up to 9 experiments Each of the 3 successful OSO's exceeded their five month design specification. OSO 1, launched March 7, 1962, was. in operation nearly 18 months; OSO 2, launched February 3, 1965, nearly 9 months; OSO 3, launched March 8, 1967, and OSO 4, launched October 18, 1967, continued to send back scientific data through year-end 1968. Prime Contractor was Ball Brothers Research Corporation.

Photo Gallery

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OSO 1 Credit: Manufacturer Image

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OSO 7 Credit: Manufacturer Image

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OSO 8 Credit: Manufacturer Image

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• OSO 1 - . Payload: OSO A (S-16). Mass: 208 kg (458 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1981-10-08 . USAF Sat Cat: 255 . COSPAR: 1962-Zeta-1. Apogee: 553 km (343 mi). Perigee: 522 km (324 mi). Inclination: 32.80 deg. Period: 95.30 min. Orbiting Solar Observatory; solar flare observations. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

• OSO 2 - . Payload: OSO B2 (S-17). Mass: 247 kg (544 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1989-08-09 . USAF Sat Cat: 987 . COSPAR: 1965-007A. Apogee: 306 km (190 mi). Perigee: 294 km (182 mi). Inclination: 32.80 deg. Period: 90.50 min. Orbiting Solar Observatory; returned solar X-ray, UV, gamma ray data. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

• OSO C - . Payload: OSO C. Mass: 280 kg (610 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1965-08-25 .

• OSO 3 - . Payload: OSO E1. Mass: 281 kg (619 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1982-04-04 . USAF Sat Cat: 2703 . COSPAR: 1967-020A. Apogee: 570 km (350 mi). Perigee: 546 km (339 mi). Inclination: 32.80 deg. Period: 95.80 min. Orbiting Solar Observatory. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

• OSO 4 - . Payload: OSO D. Mass: 272 kg (599 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1982-06-15 . USAF Sat Cat: 3000 . COSPAR: 1967-100A. Apogee: 555 km (344 mi). Perigee: 552 km (342 mi). Inclination: 32.90 deg. Period: 95.70 min. Extreme UV solar observations. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

• OSO 5 - . Payload: OSO F. Mass: 291 kg (641 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1984-04-02 . USAF Sat Cat: 3663 . COSPAR: 1969-006A. Apogee: 559 km (347 mi). Perigee: 538 km (334 mi). Inclination: 33.00 deg. Period: 95.60 min. Orbiting Solar Observatory; solar radiation data. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

• OSO 6 - . Payload: OSO G. Mass: 290 kg (630 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1981-03-07 . USAF Sat Cat: 4065 . COSPAR: 1969-068A. Apogee: 554 km (344 mi). Perigee: 489 km (303 mi). Inclination: 32.90 deg. Period: 95.10 min. Orbiting Solar Observatory; solar physics experiments. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

• OSO 7 - . Payload: OSO H. Mass: 635 kg (1,399 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1974-07-09 . USAF Sat Cat: 5491 . COSPAR: 1971-083A. Apogee: 572 km (355 mi). Perigee: 326 km (202 mi). Inclination: 33.10 deg. Period: 93.50 min. Orbiting Solar Observatory. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

• OSO 8 - . Payload: OSO I. Mass: 1,066 kg (2,350 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1986-07-09 . USAF Sat Cat: 7970 . COSPAR: 1975-057A. Apogee: 553 km (343 mi). Perigee: 539 km (334 mi). Inclination: 32.90 deg. Period: 95.60 min. Orbiting Solar Observatory. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .