OAO (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory)

This illustration shows one of NASA's OAO spacecraft in shades of blue. The body of the satellite is an octagon. The telescope opening is embedded at the top of the octagon, which also has a flap that is open. Two-layered solar panels are attached on both sides. Antennae extend from the top and bottom.
An illustration of one of NASA's OAO spacecraft. The colors depicted in this illustration are for artistic purposes only.
NASA
January 9, 2023
CreditNASA
Historical DateJanuary 9, 2023
Language
  • english

An illustration of one of NASA's OAO spacecraft. The colors depicted in this illustration are for artistic purposes only.

NASA’s OAO program was a series of four satellites that launched between 1966 and 1972, two of which were successful. These missions included OAO-2 and OAO-3, the direct ancestors of Hubble, Chandra, Swift, and many other astronomy satellites.

Launched:
OAO 1: April 8, 1966
OAO 2 (Stargazer): December 7, 1968
OAO B: November 30, 1970
OAO 3 (Copernicus): August 21, 1972

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