OFO

The Frog Otolith Experiment Package (FOEP) contained all apparatus necessary to assure survival of two frogs. Specimens were housed in a water-filled, self-contained centrifuge which supplied the test acceleration during orbit. The FOEP was designed for flight as part of the Apollo Applications Program; however, the package was equipped for flight on an unmanned spacecraft.

Typical orbit: 304 km x 518 km at 37 degrees inclination. Mass: 133 kg (293 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Scout B.

• 1970 November 9 - OFO 1 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Scout B. Mass: 133 kg (293 lb). Perigee: 304 km (188 mi). Apogee: 518 km (321 mi). Inclination: 37.40 deg. Period: 92.60 min.

  Orbiting Frog Otolith. The satellite carrying the OFO-A experiment remained in orbit for almost seven days. Recovery of the spacecraft was not planned. The payload was the Frog Otolith Experiment Package (FOEP). The objective of the experiment was to investigate the effect of microgravity on the otolith, a sensory organ that responds to changes in an animal's orientation within the Earth's gravitational field. Two bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) were used as experimental subjects in the flight experiment.Additional Details: OFO 1 (1193).

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