Orbiting Vehicle 1-3 (also known as OV1-3), 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.[2]: 419
Mission type | Life science |
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Operator | USAF |
COSPAR ID | |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | General Dynamics |
Launch mass | 92 kg (203 lb) with Altair |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 27 May 1965 2:54:56 (1965-05-27UTC02:54:56) UTC |
Rocket | SM-65D Atlas |
Launch site | Vandenberg 576-B-3[1] |
OV1 |
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.[2]: 417 Five distinct OV series of standardized satellites were developed under the auspices of these agencies.[2]: 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.[2]: 417 The OV1 program was managed by Lt. Col. Clyde Northcott, Jr.[3]
The first OV1 satellite to be launched was OV1-1 on 21 January 1965. Though OV1-1's Atlas booster performed properly, the satellite's onboard Altair did not fire, and the probe was lost. OV1-1 was the only satellite launched on an ABRES mission; the remaining OV1 satellites, including OV1-3, flew on Atlas D and F missiles that had been decommissioned from ICBM duty (except OV1-6, which flew on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory test flight on 2 November 1966).[2]: 418–422
OV1-3, like the other satellites in the OV1 series, was 1.387 m (4 ft 6.6 in) long and .69 m (2 ft 3 in) in diameter, and consisted of a cylindrical experiment housing capped with flattened cones on both ends[4] containing 5000 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.[2]: 418
OV1-3 weighed, with its attached Altair booster, 92 kg (203 lb).[5]
Though the OV1 series was designed to be nose-launched from its carrying rocket, on OV1-3, as with the prior OV1-1, the ARS was side-mounted.[6]
OV1-3's experiment package was designed to measure the effects of orbital radiation on the human body. The primary experiment was a plastic replica of a human torso containing an ion chamber, a spectrometer, and a linear energy transfer device.[2]: 419
Launched from Vandenberg's 576-B-3 launch pad at 28 May 1965 2:54:56 UTC,[1] OV1-3 was lost when the Atlas D carrying it, mounting two additional dummy ARS packages for aerodynamic testing purposes, exploded two minutes into the flight.[2]: 419
The OV1 program ultimately comprised 22 missions, the last flying on 19 September 1971.[2]: 421
← 1964 · Orbital launches in 1965 · 1966 → | |
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Kosmos 52 | OPS 3928 | OPS 7040 | OV1-1 | TIROS-9 | OPS 4703 | Kosmos 53 | OSO-2 | LES-1 | DS-P1-Yu No.2 | Apollo AS-103 · Pegasus 1 | Ranger 8 | DS-A1 No.6 | Kosmos 54 · Kosmos 55 · Kosmos 56 | Kosmos 57 | OPS 4782 | Kosmos 58 | Surveyor SD-1 | Kosmos 59 | NRL PL142 · GGSE-2 · GGSE-3 · SECOR 3 · Solrad 7B · Surcal 4 · Dodecapole 1 · OSCAR 3 | OPS 7087 · SECOR 2 | Kosmos 60 | OPS 4920 | Kosmos 61 · Kosmos 62 · Kosmos 63 | OPS 7353 | Voskhod 2 | Ranger 9 | Gemini III | Kosmos 64 | OPS 4803 | OPS 4682 · SECOR 4 | Intelsat I F1 | Luna E-6 No.8 | Kosmos 65 | Molniya 1-01 | OPS 4983 · OPS 6717 | Explorer 27 | OPS 5023 | LES-2 · LCS-1 | Kosmos 66 | Luna 5 | OPS 8431 | OPS 8386 | Apollo AS-104 · Pegasus 2 | Kosmos 67 | OPS 5236 | OV1-3 | Explorer 28 | Gemini IV | Luna 6 | OPS 8425 | Kosmos 68 | Titan 3C-7 | OPS 8480 | Kosmos 69 | OPS 5501 · OPS 6749 | TIROS-10 | Kosmos 70 | OPS 5810 | Zenit-2 No.28 | Kosmos 71 · Kosmos 72 · Kosmos 73 · Kosmos 74 · Kosmos 75 | Proton 1 | OPS 8411 | Zond 3 | OPS 5543 | OPS 6577 · OPS 6564 · ERS-17 | Kosmos 76 | Apollo AS-105 · Pegasus 3 | Kosmos 77 | OPS 5698 · OPS 6761 | SEV · SECOR 5 | Surveyor SD-2 | OPS 8464 · Dodecapole 2 · Tempsat-1 · Long Rod · Calsphere 4A · Surcal 5 | Kosmos 78 | OPS 7208 | Gemini V (REP) | Kosmos 79 | OSO-C | OPS 3373 | Kosmos 80 · Kosmos 81 · Kosmos 82 · Kosmos 83 · Kosmos 84 | Kosmos 85 | OPS 8068 | Kosmos 86 · Kosmos 87 · Kosmos 88 · Kosmos 89 · Kosmos 90 | OPS 7221 | Kosmos 91 | OPS 7208 | Luna 7 | OV1-2 | OPS 5325 | OGO-2 | Molniya 1-02 | OV2-1 · LCS-2 | Kosmos 92 | Kosmos 93 | GATV 5002 | Kosmos 94 | OPS 2155 | Proton 2 | Kosmos 95 | Explorer 29 | OPS 8293 · OPS 6232 | Venera 2 | Venera 3 | Solrad 8 | Kosmos 96 | Kosmos 97 | Astérix | Kosmos 98 | Alouette 2 · Explorer 31 | Luna 8 | Gemini VII | FR-1 | OPS 7249 | Kosmos 99 | Gemini VIA | Pioneer 6 | Kosmos 100 | Kosmos 101 | OV2-3 · LES-3 · LES-4 · OSCAR 4 | OPS 1509 | OPS 4639 | Kosmos 102 | Kosmos 103 | DS-K-40 No.1 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets. |