High Energy Astrophysics Group

OSO-1

Orbiting Solar Observatory-1

The first Orbiting Solar Observatory (NASA project S-16) was developed under NASA direction with Ball Brothers Research Corp as prime contractor with six instrument providers: Goddard Space Flight Center, Ames Research Center, and the universities of California, Berkeley, Colorado, Minnesota, and Rochester.

OSO-1 was launched on March 7, 1962 into a circular orbit with 33 degrees inclination and 550 km altitude. Satellite operation was nearly continuous for 1,038 orbits, after which the on-board tape recorders failed and data was only received in real time during station passes. Information was received on an intermittent basis for nearly two years.

OSO-1 Information

Mission Objectives
Spacecraft
Gamma-ray Experiment
Results
Publications