OV1-10

Last updated
OV1-10
Ov1-1.jpg
OV1 series satellite
Mission type Earth science
Operator USAF
COSPAR ID 1966-111B OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. S02611
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer General Dynamics
Launch mass130 kg (290 lb) with Altair
Start of mission
Launch date11 Dec 1966 21:09:57 (1966-12-11UTC21:09:57) UTC
Rocket Atlas D
Launch site Vandenberg 576-B-3 [1]
End of mission
Decay date30 November 2002
Orbital parameters
Regime Low Earth Orbit
Eccentricity 0.00903
Perigee altitude 641.00 km (398.30 mi)
Apogee altitude 769.00 km (477.83 mi)
Inclination 93.430°
Period 98.87 minutes [2]
Epoch 11 Dec 1966 21:07:00
OV1
←  OV1-9
OV1-11  →
 

Orbiting Vehicle 1-10 (also known as OV1-10), launched 11 December 1966 along with OV1-9, was the tenth (seventh successful) satellite in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. Designed to observe atmospheric airglow, X-ray and cosmic radiation, OV1-10 returned significant data on the Sun as well as on geophysical phenomena in Earth's magnetic field. OV1-10 reentered Earth's atmosphere on 30 November 2002.

Contents

History

Lt. Col. Clyde Northcott, Jr. , OV1 program manager Lt. Col. Clyde Northcott, Jr. , OV1 program manager.jpg
Lt. Col. Clyde Northcott, Jr. , OV1 program manager

The Orbiting Vehicle satellite program arose from a US Air Force initiative, begun in the early 1960s, to reduce the expense of space research. Through this initiative, satellites would be standardized to improve reliability and cost-efficiency, and where possible, they would fly on test vehicles or be piggybacked with other satellites. In 1961, the Air Force Office of Aerospace Research (OAR) created the Aerospace Research Support Program (ARSP) to request satellite research proposals and choose mission experiments. The USAF Space and Missiles Organization created their own analog of the ARSP called the Space Experiments Support Program (SESP), which sponsored a greater proportion of technological experiments than the ARSP. [3] : 417  Five distinct OV series of standardized satellites were developed under the auspices of these agencies. [3] : 425 

The OV1 series was an evolution of the 2.7 m "Scientific Passenger Pods" (SPP), which, starting on 2 October 1961, rode piggyback on suborbital Atlas missile tests and conducted scientific experiments during their short time in space. General Dynamics received a $2 million contract on 13 September 1963 to build a new version of the SPP (called the Atlas Retained Structure (ARS)) that would carry a self-orbiting satellite. Once the Atlas missile and ARS reached apogee, the satellite inside would be deployed and thrust itself into orbit. In addition to the orbital SPP, General Dynamics would create six of these satellites, each to be 3.66 m (12.0 ft) long with a diameter of .762 m (2 ft 6.0 in), able to carry a 136 kg (300 lb) payload into a circular 805 km (500 mi) orbit.

Dubbed "Satellite for Aerospace Research" (SATAR), the series of satellites was originally to be launched from the Eastern Test Range on Atlas missions testing experimental Advanced Ballistic Re-Entry System (ABRES) nosecones. However, in 1964, the Air Force transferred ABRES launches to the Western Test Range causing a year's delay for the program. Moreover, because WTR launches would be into polar orbit as opposed to the low-inclination orbits typical of ETR launches, less mass could be lofted into orbit using the same thrust, and the mass of the SATAR satellites had to be reduced. [3] : 417  The OV1 program was managed by Lt. Col. Clyde Northcott, Jr. [4]

Prior to the dual launch of OV1-9 and OV1-10, there had been eight satellites in the OV1 series, the first launched January 21, 1965. All launches had been on Atlas missiles except for OV1-6, which was programmed for launch out of sequence (after the 14 July 1966 launch of OV1-7 and OV1-8 [1] ) so that it could be carried on the Titan IIIC tasked for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory test flight. [3] : 418–422 

Spacecraft design

OV1-10 was, like the rest of the OV1 satellite series, 1.387 m (4 ft 6.6 in) long and .69 m (2 ft 3 in) in diameter, consisting of a cylindrical experiment housing capped with flattened cones on both ends. [5] It included 5000 flat-faceted solar cells producing 22 watts of power. Two .46 m (1 ft 6 in) antennas for transmitting telemetry and receiving commands extended from the sides of the spacecraft. 12 helium-pressurized hydrogen peroxide thrusters provided attitude control. [3] : 418–420 

OV1-10 weighed, with its attached Altair booster, 130 kg (290 lb). [2]

Experiments

The OV1-10 science package comprised eight experiments. A number of photometers and a Geiger–Müller tube detected day and nighttime atmospheric airglow. OV1-10 carried a cosmic ray telescope and a Sun-pointed X-ray spectrometer for the evaluation of non-terrestrial radiation, complementing OV1-9's experiment package, which was focused on the long term measurement of orbital radiation and its threat to living organisms. Two NASA experiments, a magnetometer and an electric field measuring voltmeter housed in two 15.24 m (50.0 ft) booms used for gravity-gradient stabilization, completed the experiment package. [3] : 420 

Mission

OV1 dual launch staging OV1 dual launch staging.jpg
OV1 dual launch staging

Launched from Vandenberg's 576-B-3 launch pad on 11 Dec 1966 at 21:09:57 UTC via Atlas D rocket, [1] OV1-10 and the co-launched OV1-9 were the first satellites in the OV1 series to be launched into nearly polar orbits as opposed to 144° retrograde orbits. [3] : 420  The satellite's track, nearly perpendicular to the equator, meant that it followed a meridian of nearly constant local time, drifting with respect to the ground about one hour per month. [2] The "Vertistat" stabilization system, first installed on the failed OV1-7, [3] : 420  did not consistently work to keep the satellite stably oriented. OV1-10 sometimes flipped upside-down, and it was given to occasional rapid yaw (spinning around its center of mass) motions. This data was useful in illustrating ways to improve future gravity-gradient systems. [6]

OV1-10's X-ray spectrometer returned the most comprehensive set of solar X-ray observations to date. These data were enabled scientists to determine the relative density of neon to magnesium in the solar corona through direct observation rather than using complicated mathematical models. The ratio of neon to magnesium was found to be 1.47 to 1 (+/- .38). [7] OV1-10's airglow experiments also returned observations of Stable Auroral Red (SAR) arcs, which occur during geomagnetic storms, during an event that took place 15–17 February 1967. [8]

Legacy and status

OV1-10 reentered Earth's atmosphere on 30 November 2002. [9] The OV1 program ultimately comprised 22 missions, the last flying on 19 September 1971. [3] : 421  As of 26 December 2021, OV1-9 is still in orbit, and its position can be tracked on-line. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orbiting Vehicle</span> American satellite family

Orbiting Vehicle or OV, originally designated SATAR, comprised five disparate series of standardized American satellites operated by the US Air Force, launched between 1965 and 1971. Forty seven satellites were built, of which forty three were launched and thirty seven reached orbit. With the exception of the OV3 series and OV4-3, they were launched as secondary payloads, using excess space on other missions. This resulted in extremely low launch costs and short proposal-to-orbit times. Typically, OV satellites carried scientific and/or technological experiments, 184 being successfully orbited through the lifespan of the program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-1</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-1, was the first satellite in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. OV1-1 was an American Earth science research satellite designed to measure radiation, micrometeoroid density, and magnetic fields in orbit. Launched 21 January 1965, the mission resulted in failure when, after a successful launch of its Atlas booster, OV1-1's onboard Altair motor failed to fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-3</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-3, was the second satellite in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. OV1-3 was an American life science research satellite designed to measure the effects of orbital radiation on the human body. Launched 28 May 1965, the mission resulted in failure when its Atlas booster exploded two minutes after launch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-2</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-2, launched 5 October 1965, was the third, and first successful, satellite in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. A radiation measuring satellite designed to conduct research for the planned Manned Orbital Laboratory project, OV1-2 was the first American spacecraft to be placed into orbit on a western trajectory. The satellite stopped functioning in April 1967 after a series of technical problems starting two months after launch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV2-3</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 2-3, the second satellite of the second series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program, was an American solar astronomy, geomagnetic and particle science research satellite. Launched 22 December 1965 along with three other satellites, the mission resulted in failure when the spacecraft failed to separate from the upper stage of its Titan IIIC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-4</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-4, launched 30 Mar 1966, was the fourth, and second successful, satellite in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. OV1-4 was a long-term bioscience and materials science satellite, designed to return data relevant to long-term human presence in space. Its launch marked the first time two satellites were placed into orbit side by side with each other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-5</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-5 was launched 30 Mar 1966, and was the fifth satellite in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. OV1-5 conducted optical experiments, surveying the Earth in the infrared spectrum to see if water, land, mountains and deserts could be distinguished by their thermal gradients. It was launched concurrently with OV1-4 in the first ever side-by-side satellite orbital deployment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV2-5</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 2-5, the third and last satellite of the second series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program, was an American particle science and ionosphere research satellite. Launched 26 September 1968 along with three other satellites, OV2-5 became the first scientific satellite to operate at geosynchronous altitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-7</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-7, launched 14 July 1966, was the sixth satellite launched in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. OV1-7 was a sky science satellite, designed to return data on charged particles in orbit as well as measurements of solar X-rays and nightglow. Co-launched with OV1-8, the satellite was lost when it failed to detach from its launch rocket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-8</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-8, launched 14 July 1966, was the seventh satellite launched in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. OV1-8 was designed to test the passive communications utility of an aluminum grid sphere versus a balloon satellite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV3-3</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 3-3, launched 4 August 1966, was the third satellite to be launched in the OV3 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. The satellite measured charged particles in orbit so that their danger to space-based payloads could be assessed. OV3-3 is still in orbit as of 29 July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-6</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-6 was launched via Titan IIIC rocket into orbit 2 November 1966 along with two other satellites in the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle series on the first and only Manned Orbiting Laboratory test flight. The eighth satellite in the OV1 series to be launched, OV1-6 was designed to release a number of inflatable spheres, which would then be used in classified tracking experiments conducted on the ground. It is uncertain whether or not the satellite successfully released any of its spheres. OV1-6 reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 31 December 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-9</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-9, launched 11 December 1966 along with OV1-10, was the ninth satellite in the OV1 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. OV1-9 recorded low frequency radio emissions and particle radiation in Earth's exosphere; the satellite also collected data on the impact of long-term radiation on biological samples and tissue equivalents. OV1-9 returned the first proof that Earth has an electric field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV3-5</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 3-5, launched 31 January 1967, was the fifth satellite to be launched in the OV3 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-86</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-86 was a satellite launched 27 July 1967 to measure the temperature radiation properties of different types of terrain. Part of the OV1 series of USAF satellites, using standardized designs and sent to orbit on decommissioned Atlas ICBMs to reduce development and launching costs, OV1-86 was launched with two other satellites in the series, OV1-11 and OV1-12, in the first triple launch of the program. It was the only OV1 satellite to be cobbled together from two of its sister satellites, utilizing the unused body on OV1-8 and the unused propulsion module on OV1-6. OV1-86's was only partially successful due to the failure of its Vertistat gravity-gradient_stabilization system. The satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 22 February 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-11</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1-11 was an American satellite launched 27 July 1967 to study a range of environmental conditions in the upper atmosphere. Part of the OV1 series of USAF satellites, using standardized designs and sent to orbit on decommissioned Atlas ICBMs to reduce development and launching costs, OV1-12 was launched with two other satellites in the series, OV1-12 and OV1-86, in the first triple launch of the program. The satellite was lost during launch when its onboard propulsion module failed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-12</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1–12 was a satellite launched 27 July 1967 to measure the radiation hazard posed by solar flares. Part of the OV1 series of USAF satellites, using standardized designs and sent to orbit on decommissioned Atlas ICBMs to reduce development and launching costs, OV1-12 was launched with two other satellites in the series, OV1-11 and OV1-86, in the first triple launch of the program. Only partially successful due to an inability to remain stable in orbit, the satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 22 July 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV5-1</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 5-1, was an X-ray measuring microsatellite launched in support of the United States Air Force's space weather prediction program. Launched on 28 April 1967, it was the first satellite in the OV5 series of the United States Air Force's Orbiting Vehicle program. Data was collected until November 1967, and the satellite turned itself off in June 1967. OV5-1 is still in orbit as of 11 February 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-13</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1–13 was a satellite launched on 6 April 1968 to measure the level of radiation in orbit at altitudes as high as 8,000 km (5,000 mi). Part of the OV1 series of USAF satellites, using standardized designs and sent to orbit on decommissioned Atlas ICBMs to reduce development and launching costs, OV1-13 was launched side-by-side with OV1-14. The launch marked the first usage of the Atlas F in the OV program. Operating for more than a year and a half, OV1-13 mapped the grosser characteristics of the Van Allen radiation belts and contributed to the understanding of how particles flow and cause increased intensities during solar storms. As of 12 May 2023, OV1-13 is still in orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OV1-14</span> US Air Force satellite

Orbiting Vehicle 1–14 was a satellite launched 6 April 1968 to measure electromagnetic interference and measure proton and electron flux at altitudes up to 8,000 km (5,000 mi). OV1-14 was also supposed to study the Sun in the Lyman-alpha line. Part of the OV1 series of USAF satellites, using standardized designs and sent to orbit on decommissioned Atlas ICBMs to reduce development and launching costs, OV1-14 was launched side-by-side with OV1-13. The launch marked the first usage of the Atlas F in the OV program. Unfortunately, the satellite failed after four to seven days, returning about 24 hours of usable data.

References

  1. 1 2 3 McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "OV1-10". NASA. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Powell, Joel W.; Richards, G.R. (1987). "The Orbiting Vehicle Series of Satellites". Journal of the British Interplanetary Society. Vol. 40. London: British Interplanetary Society.
  4. ↑ "The OV1-Promoter of timely space research". Proceedings of the OAR Research Applications Conference, 14 March 1967. Washington D.C.: Officer of Aerospace Research, United States Air Force. 1967.
  5. ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "OV1" . Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  6. ↑ Peter C. Hughes (1986). Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics. Dover Publications. p. 338. ISBN   9780486439259. OCLC   868968056.
  7. ↑ H.R. Rugge; A.B.C. Walker, Jr (1976). "The Relative Abundance of Neon and Magnesium in the Solar Corona". The Astrophysical Journal. 203: L139. Bibcode:1976ApJ...203L.139R. doi:10.1086/182038. hdl: 2060/19760010939 . S2CID   92759580.
  8. ↑ A. V. Pavlov (31 Aug 1997). "Subauroral red arcs as a conjugate phenomenon: comparison of OV1-10 satellite data with numerical calculations". Annales Geophysicae. 15 (8): 984–998. Bibcode:1997AnGeo..15..984P. doi: 10.1007/s00585-997-0984-3 . S2CID   14753734.
  9. ↑ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathon's Space Report. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  10. ↑ "OV1-9" . Retrieved 26 December 2021.
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