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OV3
Credit - USAF
Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere. Nation: USA. Agency: U.S. Air Force. Manufacturer: Aerojet.

The OV3 GUS General Utility Satellite were built for the Air Force as part of the OV3 satellite series. Four of the spacecraft were launched during 1967 and all were successful. The satellites were Scout-boosted, three from the Western Test Range, one from Wallops Island, Virginia. Apogees ranged from 1500 to 5600 km and perigees down to 330 km. The spacecraft was a right octagonal cylinder measuring 0.76 m by 0.76 m and weighing from 68 to 78 kg. Solar cells supplied power, with a cell area of 0.34 sq m for experiments and .58 square m for support subsystems. Prime Contractor was Aerojet-General Corporation (Space-General Plant).

Typical orbit: 411 x 2793 km, 75.3 deg inclinaton. Mass: 80 kg (176 lb).

OV3 Chronology
  • 1966 April 22 - OV3-01 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC5. Launch Vehicle: Scout. Mass: 69 kg (152 lb). Perigee: 341 km (211 mi). Apogee: 3,585 km (2,227 mi). Inclination: 82.40 deg. Period: 126.40 min.
    Radiation data. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

  • 1966 June 10 - OV3-04 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: LA3A. Launch Vehicle: Scout. Mass: 79 kg (174 lb). Perigee: 643 km (399 mi). Apogee: 4,704 km (2,922 mi). Inclination: 40.90 deg. Period: 142.90 min.
    Radiation measurements. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

  • 1966 August 4 - OV3-03 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC5. Launch Vehicle: Scout. Mass: 75 kg (165 lb). Perigee: 349 km (216 mi). Apogee: 3,141 km (1,951 mi). Inclination: 81.40 deg. Period: 121.40 min.
    Radiation measurements. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

  • 1966 October 28 - OV3-02 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC5. Launch Vehicle: Scout. Mass: 82 kg (180 lb). Perigee: 319 km (198 mi). Apogee: 1,599 km (993 mi). Inclination: 81.90 deg. Period: 104.20 min.
    Radiation data. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

  • 1967 January 31 - OV3-05 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC5. Launch Vehicle: Scout. FAILURE: Failure.

  • 1967 December 5 - OV3-06 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC5. Launch Vehicle: Scout. Mass: 95 kg (209 lb). Perigee: 409 km (254 mi). Apogee: 443 km (275 mi). Inclination: 90.00 deg. Period: 93.00 min.
    Ionospheric studies. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

Bibliography:

  • McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
  • JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.
  • Bramscher, Robert G, Spaceflight, "A Survey of Launch Vehicle Failures", 1980, Volume 22, page 351.
  • Aerospace Yearbook, 1966,
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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.